


Your Alcove of Reality

by ZTNBooks



Series: Your Alcove of Reality [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Come Eating, Consensual Sex, Dubcon Kissing, Eventual Keith/Lance (Voltron), Fair Folk, Fairy AU, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Frottage, Kidnapping, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Prostitution, Slow Burn, Smut, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2018-09-26 00:55:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9854855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZTNBooks/pseuds/ZTNBooks
Summary: Being a "monster" never used to bother Keith. That is, until he kidnapped Lance and took him to The Forest. Now Lance must find a way to keep Keith at bay while also struggling with his own feelings. Can he handle the craziness of it all? And why did Keith choose him?





	1. An Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> If you add me on [Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/add/ztnbooks), I'll add you back and you can yell at me about Voltron or just send me cute pictures of your pets. If you have any questions/comments, leave them down below. I always reply to comments ^-^.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired by Fairylaughing's post here: [@fairylaughing](http://fairylaughing.tumblr.com/post/157246570560/charminglyantiquated-coexisting-with-the-fair)

His mama had told him about them, usually in the bedtime stories he loved as a child. She’d gone on and on about them, their hair long and billowing, their clothes made of spun silk, their teeth sharp, and worst of all were their eyes, bright with hunger.

“Hunger for naughty little boys!” his mother would growl, her hands tickling up his sides as he squirmed. She’d kiss him goodnight, leaving him wrapped up in a blanket burrito and wondering if her stories were real. 

Now that he was in college, far away from home, he missed his mother’s stories. Now that he was grown, he was sure of the fantasy of it all. But his mama had never failed to entertain him with the idea of it all. This fantastical world full of beautiful beasts that stole humans away in the night seemed so wonderfully mysterious. 

But maybe his mama was right about something and maybe there was a semblance of truth to her tales. After all, what else could explain the weird night that Lance experienced?

 

Lance was a sophomore in college now, sharing a room with his sworn rival, Keith. It wasn’t his ideal rooming situation, but at least Keith was clean. Okay, maybe clean wasn’t the best adjective to describe it. He was minimal, his side of the room almost completely bare. It was like the guy owned nothing, save for a few photos, outfits, and a knife that Lance was pretty sure wasn’t allowed on campus.

Much as he disliked Keith, there wasn’t really anything wrong with the situation, and Lance wasn’t about to go complain that he wanted a different roommate because of some old, petty rivalry. After all, he wasn’t a child anymore, was he? So he kept his mouth shut, opting not to tell the dorm leader, a senior named Shiro. Besides, Shiro and Keith went way back, having been childhood friends, so unless Keith complained, Shiro probably wouldn’t let Lance move out.

College was weird, to say the least. He missed home, missed his family back in Cuba. He wrote to his mom often, but not often enough. He couldn’t wait for summer break to come so that he could see his siblings and parents again. The younger ones hadn’t wanted him to leave, but it was an opportunity that Lance couldn’t turn down. He would be the first in the family to go to college and he wanted to pursue higher education to ensure a better future for himself and his family.

His first week at the university, he had met Keith, a hothead and a bit of a jerk. Well, in Lance’s opinion at least. He’d tried to be nice to Keith, but no matter what he tried, Keith seemed to give him the cold shoulder. Now that Lance was rooming with him, he discovered that this cold attitude of his was just part of his personality and wasn’t him purposefully hating on Lance. But that wouldn’t stop Lance from holding a grudge, especially after the rudeness Keith had displayed when they first met.

Lance came home one night to find Keith was back early from his classes. The other boy lay sprawled across his bed, snoring deeply. He was still fully dressed and even his shoes were still on. Lance scoffed at the sight, kicking his own shoes off before donning a pair of slipper and grabbing his towel and pajamas, heading for the communal bathrooms. The hall was surprisingly empty and he saw only one other person in the bathroom. It was odd, to say the least. It was five at night and the halls were usually swarming with people headed to the dining hall at this time.

But seeing as Lance had the bathroom practically all to himself, he didn’t complain. He finished his business and headed back to the room, clutching his moist towel and dirty clothes in hand. As he turned a corner, his armful of fabric went flying.

“I’m sorry!” he apologized quickly to the person he’d just run into. He grabbed his clothes and towel, looking up only when he heard a familiar voice.

“Why’re you outside of your dorm?”  
Lance looked up in a panic as he recognized the voice of none other than Takashi Shirogane, the dorm leader. From the stern look on his face and the question he’d just asked, Lance assumed he was in trouble.

“I was- uh- I was taking a shower.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes, widening his stance and crossing his arms. His body language left no room for arguing.

“Don’t you know what tonight is? You should be more cautious.”

Lance bristled at his words. He stuck his chin out in defiance, “No, I don’t know what tonight is. Can’t a guy just take a shower?”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed even further as he examined Lance.

“It’s the full moon. Be careful,” he warned cryptically before sprinting off towards the bathroom.

Lance watched him go, confused as to what on Earth Shiro had been talking about. Lance was convinced that drugs had to be some part of Shiro’s loss of touch with reality. Maybe the dorm leader was less responsible than he seemed.  
Lance shook his head, exasperated at the way this weird night was progressing. He couldn’t even be bothered to try and decipher what Shiro had meant by “don’t you know what tonight is”. He got back to his room and opened the door. Keith was still spread-eagle across his bed, saliva dribbling down the side of his face. One of his shoes had fallen off in the time it’d taken Lance to shower.

He didn’t stir, even as Lance turned on the light. He was a tired college student after all, so it was no surprise that he was passed out cold. But Keith had never been a very heavy sleeper, so that tidbit had Lance a bit worried. Maybe Keith was sick. Not that Lance was caring for Keith’s well-being, but if Keith got sick, it was likely Lance would get sick as well. Struck with that idea, Lance threw his clothes and towel onto his bed, opting to head over to Keith instead. He hesitated a moment before reaching out a hand to the other’s forehead. He rested the back of his hand there for a second, feeling no alarming heat.

“What’re you doing?” came a groggy voice.

Lance pulled his hand away with a surprised shout as Keith sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“I- uh. I was wondering if you were sick.”

Keith swung his legs over the bed, staring at Lance with his eyebrows knit together, his mouth slightly ajar. He seemed almost incredulous.

“Don’t you know what tonight it?” Keith asked.

Lance bristled at that. “No, I don’t know what tonight is. Why don’t you enlighten me, huh? Both you and Shiro are acting so weird about ‘tonight’!”

Keith’s furrow deepened at the mention of Shiro.

“You’re really dense, aren’t you? Forgetful, at least.”

Lance crossed his arms, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout, “I am not! How am I supposed to know what’s so special about tonight if nobody tells me, huh?”

“It’s the vernal equinox, you dingus,” Keith bit out as if that was helpful. He kicked his remaining shoe off and tucked himself back in bed, ignoring Lance’s confused noises behind him.

Lance frowned at Keith’s back, annoyed and even more clueless than he’d been in the first place. He elected to ignore both Shiro and Keith’s weird behavior, deciding that the two of them were probably conspiring to bother him. Typical bro behavior, right?

Keith stayed stiffly asleep for the remainder of the evening, at least until Lance himself turned in for the night. Lance embraced sleep quickly, drifting off into dream land and hoping for a more normal day to come.


	2. Whisked Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is fed up with Keith's "jokes:".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drug tw? Mention of drugs, I guess, but nobody actually does any? I'm sorry if this chapter is a bit confusing, I'm just really really really bad at editing when I'm exhausted.

Lance awoke with a start. Someone was shaking him, hard.

Blinking in the darkness, Lance was able to make out the faint form of someone above him. He squinted, trying to make out who it could possibly be. He sat up, the hands still on him.

The figure gripped his shoulders with a vice-like intensity. He tried to shake them off but to no avail.

“Keith?” he whispered tentatively. Keith hadn’t ever slept-walked, as far as Lance knew, and a burglar wouldn’t be trying to wake him. That left only one other option… Okay, well, two other options. He was either dead and this was an angel come to guide him to the afterlife, or he was about to die because this was a murderer come to kill him. Neither option was particularly desirable.

“Keith, buddy,” Lance’s voice wavered unsteadily as he reached a hand out in the darkness to try and find the face of the mysterious person above him.

His hands reached to the back of the person’s neck and he could feel short thick hair; Keith’s signature mullet. It was most certainly the mullet-head above him, shaking him. But why?

“Keith, what’re you doing?” Lance asked, a little more desperate because Keith’s nails were digging into him in a rather uncomfortable manner. He could feel the imprints of each of Keith’s nails jabbing into the skin of his back.

“ _Carajo_ , Keith,” Lance hissed out as Keith’s nails broke the skin. Still, the figure above him remained silent. Lance could see better now, could make out Keith’s features above him. But something was wrong, something looked off about the other.

Lance struggled to pull away, kicking his feet towards Keith, but to no avail. He tried to yank Keith’s arms away from him but that only caused him to dig his nails deeper, nearly drawing blood. Lance hit at Keith’s forearms, kicked at his legs, even tried to _bite_ the other boy. Nothing worked. Keith didn’t even flinch.

That was when Lance realized what was so odd about Keith. The shadowy bits above his head resembled… horns. Goat horns. That couldn’t be possible and Lance refused to believe it was possible. Then again, he was being held in place by Keith’s iron grip on his shoulders in a way that was practically inhuman. He tried to rationalize away what he was seeing. Keith must still be playing a practical joke on him, the same one that had to do with the vernal equinox� or whatever.

Lance couldn’t help the panic rising in his throat. Keith still hadn’t spoken. Sure, he wasn’t that talkative in the first place, but this was bordering on downright creepy. Nails digging into his back, blood dampening his skin, a spooky, horned creature looming over him… It was beginning to sound like something out of an outdated horror movie.

“I can see why he likes you,” said a voice. It was thick, raspy, and deep. It took a second for Lance to register that it was _Keith_ speaking.

“What?” Lance squeaked out, even more, confused than before.

“Come on, Lance. Let’s go. It’s the vernal equinox. You know what that is, right?”

“No, actually, I don’t. Much to everyone’s surprise, apparently.”

Keith furrowed his eyebrows, finally releasing Lance from his hold. Lance rolled his shoulders, feeling the marks on his back strain with the movement.

“Also, what was that about, dude? You totally ruined my beautiful back.”

A low growl came from above him and Lance, once again, was reminded of an old horror movie.

“You’re just being stupid on purpose now, aren’t you?” Keith sighed. Somehow, that hurt more than when Keith usually said it. Like, when he wasn’t peering at Lance in a dark room and using a scary voice and wearing fake horns on his head.

“I swear I’m not,” Lance replied.

Keith shook his head and grabbed for Lance’s wrist.

“Whatever. Just… Come on.” Keith pulled Lance to his feet none-too-gently. Then again, it seemed like the theme for whatever Keith had planned was “none-too-gently” based on the way he’d broken the skin of Lance’s back.

Lance tried to pull back but Keith was inescapable. That was odd because Keith and Lance were usually about a matched strength level. Now that Lance was standing, he could see that, yes, those were definitely horns atop Keith’s head.

“What’s with the headgear?” Lance asked, reaching out to try and touch one of the goat-horn things on Keith’s head. Keith recoiled with a hiss, backing away from Lance’s curious touch. 

Lance held his hand up in a gesture of surrender, “Geez, geez, okay. I get it. No touchy.” He lowered his hand again, relaxing when Keith did. “Where are we going anyways? What’s so important that you had to attack me and drag me off somewhere in the middle of the night?”

Keith’s stance softened a bit as he considered Lance’s question.

“I want to take you somewhere special. Besides, it’s not the middle of the night. It’s three in the morning.”

Lance scoffed and Keith pulled him forwards, opening the door with one hand and dragging Lance out of the dorm with the other. 

“What difference does it make if it’s midnight or three hours after?! You didn’t even really answer my question!”

So here he was, barefoot in the middle of the hallway with a crazy college boy wearing horns on his head, holding onto him like he was made of solid gold, and telling him he would be taking him “somewhere special”. Then, it dawned on Lance. There was one rational solution to explain both Shiro and Keith’s odd behavior that evening.

Lance leaned in towards Keith’s ear as the latter continued to drag him down the hallway. “Hey Keith,” he hissed, “Are you high?”

Keith nearly slapped him, but his hand stopped mere centimeters away from Lance’s face. It was the only real solution that Lance could dream up. Shiro and Keith had been smoking together and the drugs had messed with their heads, causing both of them to mess with Lances’ head. Right? Right?! 

“I’m not high, you thick-skulled nitwit,” Keith growled, pulling Lance ever faster behind him.

Lance stumbled, tripping over his own feet in an attempt to keep up with Keith. He tried to pull away again but it was useless. The kid sure was strong, Lance would give him that.

“Keith, could you just, like, let me go?”

Keith spoke, not slowing down as he continued towards the doors leading outside, “vernal equinox, Lance. vernal equinox.”

Lance was becoming increasingly frustrated with the other boy. As Keith opened the door to the building, Lance grabbed onto the doorframe. The night air had left the metal of the door frame cold to the touch, but Lance held on regardless. He tried to yank away from Keith, twisting his arm to try and escape the other’s grasp in a final, desperate attempt to gain freedom.

“Let me go, Keith!” he cried as Keith pulled him away from the door, his efforts once again failing.  
“I’m tired of whatever this little prank of yours is,” Lance spat angrily, “You wake me up in the middle of the night wearing your dumb fake horns and going on and on about some stupid solstice thing. You freaking hurt me with your stupid nails and you’re trying to drag me off campus to your little freak show or something. No thanks. Let me go!”

Lance’s face was twisted, his brows furrowed in anger, his mouth a thin line as he glared at the back of Keith’s head.

Keith snapped around, his grip moving up Lance’s arm and pulling the brunette until they were eye to eye. 

“Are you dense?” Keith snarled, “The vernal equinox is when the fair folk awaken. Haven’t you heard the stories? Haven’t you been stolen away before? Don’t act so surprised.”

Lance blanched. Fair folk? As in the monsters who stole people away from their families? He was reminded of the stories his mother used to tell him about the fair folk. Their inhuman strength, their strange appearances, and their siren-like voices. He refused to believe they were real. He refused to believe that Keith was one of them. This was all one big prank, wasn’t it? It had to be…


	3. The Forest

It wasn't a prank, much to Lance's disappointment. Keith continued to drag him away from campus and towards wherever the hell they were going. Lance decided that he was best off just going along with the madman and he let Keith do as he pleased. 

The farther Keith pulled him away from civilization, the faster his feet seemed to move. His surroundings blurred into an unrecognizable landscape and Lance swore that his feet weren’t even touching the ground anymore as he ran behind Keith. He felt like his soles were flying over the pavement. Well, flying over the pavement until it wasn’t pavement anymore. 

The harsh city concrete suddenly transitioned into a fluffy, mossy ground. The dirt gave way wetly beneath his feet, mud getting stuck between his bare toes. Keith seemed unfazed by the sudden change in surroundings. Lance opened his mouth to ask Keith what on Earth was going on, but he was unable to get a sound out. He felt like his voice had been ripped away from him, tossed to the ground.  
Lance nearly toppled over as they came to an unexpected halt. They’d reached a clearing in the middle of the forest, trees dotting the outer edges of a small pool of water. A stream trickled into the pool, moonlight dancing on the edges of slick rocks. A slight breeze blew through the clearing, sending a chill up Lance’s spine with the cool spring air. A large rock protruded from the ground at the edge of the water and Keith pulled Lance towards it.

Even if Lance had wanted to ditch Keith and go back to the dorms, he wouldn’t have been able to. He had no idea where they were, had never seen a forest in real life before, in fact.

The wet earth seemed to suck him into the ground with each step and the moisture pooling on his feet was starting to irritate him. Despite the unfamiliar scenery and the creepy, horned college kid leading him to god-knows-where, Lance was calm.

The moon was bright overhead, unthreatening and familiar. The wind blew softly through the fresh tree leaves, and dewdrops lined the branches of bushes. It was so beautiful that Lance nearly forgot where he was and why he was there. Not that he really had any idea of why he was there. 

“Keith!” an unfamiliar voice called.

Lance snapped his gaze to where the voice had come from. A small figure was perched on the rock, sitting cross-legged atop the large boulder and waving at them.

Lance jerked his hand away from Keith, finally succeeding in freeing himself from the death grip. Not that it made much of a difference, seeing as he had no way of knowing how to get back on his own. He was at Keith’s mercy whether he was in his grasp or not.

Keith stumbled towards the figure, crawling up the rock face to sit beside them. He situated himself before turning back to motion Lance towards them.

Lance squinted but couldn’t seem to pinpoint the face of the person sitting next to Keith. It was hard to see when the light was coming from behind the person he was trying to identify. It was becoming harder and harder for him to convince himself that this was just some practical joke played on his behalf. It felt like something more. Something scary, sure, but it was most certainly not a prank.  
Unsure what to do, Lance stood at the base of the rock, eyeing the water and actually considering throwing himself into it. He didn’t think he’d be able to climb up the rock even if he tried, and drowning himself didn’t seem like such a bad idea given his current situation. He was just a poor little Cuban boy in an unfamiliar country and an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar person and an all too familiar rival.

As he was staring at the water, Lance noticed something ripple beneath the surface. He leaned in closer, struggling to make out the image beneath the reflective surface.

“Hiya!” greeted a man, suddenly popping up out of the water, his face mere inches from Lance’s. 

Lance screeched, flinging himself backward into the mud and scrambling away from the half-naked, mustached man that had appeared from the water.

The man tugged at the edge of his luscious and, in Lance’s opinion, rather excessive mustache. 

“Oh, quiznak. Did I startle you?” asked the… the… merman?

Lance couldn’t tear his eyes away from the glittering tail that emerged behind the man’s torso. He couldn’t decide what was weirder, the mustache, the use of a word like “quiznak”, or the tail. 

“Keeeeith,” Lance whined, backing up further as another figure pulled itself out of the water.

A rather attractive mermaid positioned herself next to the merman, her hair a shiny white color, looking almost silver in the light of the moon. Scales dotted her cheeks in a triangular formation as they did the merman’s. She shook the water from her hair and grinned at Lance, revealing pointed teeth.

“Keith, buddy, what’s going on?” Lance whimpered as the mermaid inched closer. She pulled herself out of the water with webbed hands. Her nails were as long and sharp as her teeth. She reached out, grazing Lance’s ankle and leaving angry red marks on his skin.

No matter how weird the situation with Keith was, he was a much safer bet than the creepy half-humans in front of Lance. Especially when one of the creepy half-humans was being so touchy! Lance reached a hand up the side of the rock, searching for something, anything, other than the scary teeth and nails he was currently facing.

A hand closed around Lance’s wrist and he heard Keith’s voice above him, murmuring calming words that Lance wasn’t able to register in his current state of panic. The mermaid tilted her head, the gills on her neck fluttering in the cool spring breeze. 

Keith slid down the side of the rock, joining Lance back on the ground, his arm wrapping around Lance’s waist. It was normally an unwelcome action, but right now, Lance was too weirded out to care _how_ Keith touched him.

“Allura, can’t you see that you’re scaring him?” Keith asked, his tone teasing rather than angry.

The mermaid pulled back, looking only slightly apologetic.

“Who’s your friend?” she asked, eyeing Lance up and down, “It’s not often you bring humans, Keith.”

Keith’s arm tightened around Lance as the mermaid, Allura, continued to examine him.

“Yeah, Keith,” came the voice from atop the rock, “Spill! Who’s your handsome friend?”

A small figure jumped down off the rock and perched themselves next to Keith. Lance could see now that it was a small girl. Probably around his age, but nearly a whole head shorter. She wore a pair of round glasses and peered at him with wide, curious eyes.

“This is Lance,” Keith mumbled, pulling Lance away from the girl’s and the merfolk’s prying eyes.

Keith gestured to the merfolk, “Lance, that’s Coran and Allura. They’re merfolk, obviously.”

Lance gave a hesitant wave, slowly becoming accustomed to the weirdness of the entire situation.

“And that’s Pidge, our resident Sweet Acacia nymph.” Keith motioned to the girl who continued to stare at Lance.

“And I’m Hunk!” came a voice from behind them, causing Lance to squeal in shock yet again. He spun around, Keith’s arm around him making the movement difficult.

Behind him stood a broad-shouldered man who, like Pidge, appeared around Lance’s age. He wore a toothy grin and, after giving Lance a quick once-over, held out his hand.

“I’m a Wild Cinnamon Tree nymph. And you must be Keith’s new boyfriend~” Hunk’s grin widened even more as Lance took his hand and shook it.

“He’s not my boyfriend, Hunk.”

Hunk’s stare went from Keith’s arm around Lance, to Keith’s face, and back to Keith’s arm. But he shrugged, accepting Keith’s denial regardless.

Lance trembled like an autumn leaf at the insanity of everything he’d just witnessed.

“Keith…” he whimpered again, “Would you mind explaining what’s going on?”

Keith turned to Lance, a look of shock spread across his face. He guided Lance away from the group of humanoids and sat him down at the edge of the forest.

“What do you want me to explain?”

Lance laughed. What did he want him to explain? What kind of ridiculous question was that?

“Everything. Explain everything, please. What’re you guys talking about with all this vernal equinox stuff? Why’re we here? Where is this place? What’s with these horns on your head and those crazy mermaids?”

Keith blinked at the onslaught of questions, unsure where to start.

“I can explain,” came a voice from deeper in the forest. An all too familiar voice.... 

“Shiro?!”


	4. Answers

Shiro stood just barely in view, the stark white of his hair plainly visible, even in the dim light from the moon overhead. He moved closer and Lance could see that something about him was most certainly not normal.

Large, furry ears twitched on top of his head, much like Keith’s own creepy antlers. He grinned at Lance with teeth too large for his mouth as he sat down across from the both of them.

Lance stared, mouth agape and unable to form coherent sentences. A babbling sound was the only noise that left his lips as he stared in shock at the man in front of him. Everything made sense now. This is why both Shiro and Keith had been acting weird. This… this… _thing_ was the reason they’d been so cryptic and odd about the vernal equinox.

Lance shook off his disbelief. This was real, this was happening, and he might as well accept that this was his life now. He held out both of his hands towards Shiro and made a gesturing motion.

“What… what’re you doing?” asked Shiro, staring at Lance’s hands with confusion.

“Waiting for you to give me answers,” Lance chuckled.

Shiro’s face broke into a smile as Keith swatted Lance’s hands away.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll explain,” Shiro acquiesced. He situated himself on the ground more comfortably before starting in on his explanation.

“We-” he motioned to himself and then Keith, “-are fair folk. We change forms once a week between the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Usually, we don’t steal people out of their beds but _someone_ here must have taken a liking to you, Lance.”

Shiro gave Keith a pointed look and he withered under the older man’s gaze.

“I’m a werewolf, though my full transformation won’t occur until the next full moon.”  
Lance nodded, once again noting the ears atop of Shiro’s head. They twitched, as if Shiro knew Lance was looking at them.

“Keith here is a horned demon,” Shiro sighed, sounding almost bored.

Lance jumped at that, staring at Keith with eyes as wide as saucers. 

Keith glowered at Shiro. “I’m not a _horned demon_ , Shiro. I’m half faun and half incubus, for crying out loud.”

“Like I was saying, a horned demon,” Shiro continued, completely disregarding Keith’s protests, “You’ve met Hunk and Pidge, I assume.”

Lance nodded, still wary of his proximity with Keith the demon. Then again, he was always slightly wary of his proximity to Keith.

“And Allura and Coran?”

Lance nodded again, not sure where else this conversation could be headed.

“I’m sorry you got dragged into all this. It’s been awhile since Keith last brought a human into this place.”

“Speaking of which,” Lance interjected, “What is this place? This doesn’t look like any scenery I’ve ever seen. I don't even know how I got here ”

Shiro smiled gently at Lance’s question, “It’s a space usually only reserved for the fair folk. We can come here with magic and we can live in peace without fear of humans coming and taking us away for some sick experiments…”

He trailed off, his voice sounding choked.

“Shiro was once… taken… and he- he…” Keith, too, was unable to complete his sentence, but Lance understood the gist of what was being said.

Sitting here with two familiar faces in a strange place somewhat helped Lance regain his sense of sanity. The entire ordeal had been, and was, weird, but he was slowly becoming accustomed to it all.

Lance shifted a bit, shivering with the cold breeze blowing in. He glanced at Keith again, who was watching him with unmasked curiosity. If anything, it should’ve been Lance watching Keith curiously. 

“How long does it take to explain to someone that we’re a bunch of cryptids!?!” came Pidge’s voice from her rock.

Lance couldn’t contain the laugh that bubbled from him at the look on both Keith and Shiro’s faces.

“I- we- we’re not _cryptids_. We’re fair folk! Mothman and- and Bigfoot, they’re cryptids!” Keith retorted, pointing his finger at her angrily.

Pidge shrugged, glancing down at Hunk beside her, who also shrugged.

“We’re cryptids,” Hunk confirmed with a chuckle, “Of a sort, at least.”

Lance stood, brushing the dirt off his legs. 

“Well, Mr. Horned Demon, I’ve seen my fair share of this place and I’d really like to go back now. I have stuff to do tomorrow and I’m missing out on my beauty sleep.”

Keith’s attention snapped to him, his eyes lighting up, glowing almost. Lance was frozen under his gaze, physically unable to move with Keith’s eyes on him.

“You can’t leave,” he growled in the same voice that he’d used when he’d first woken Lance up. It was deep and didn't sound like Keith at all…

Lance’s knees buckled and he fell to the ground, yet still unable to break eye contact with Keith.

“Keith! Get a hold of yourself, man!”

It was Hunk, running to rescue Lance. He grabbed Keith’s face in his hands, turning his eyes away from Lance. 

“Dude! What’s gotten into you?! You never do this!”

Lance sat, stunned, as Shiro walked over to him. He offered his hand to Lance and helped him up.

“Shiro, I need more answers…” Lance concluded, still watching Hunk comically slapping Keith.

“Snap out of it. What is up with you? Get a grip.” Hunk repeated, continuously hitting Keith’s cheeks.

“I get it!” Keith exclaimed, smacking Hunk’s hands away.

“This hasn't happened in… centuries…” Shiro murmured.

“What hasn’t happened in centuries?!” Lance huffed. He wasn't getting answers and he wasn't getting home. He was tired and confused and frankly he was _scared_.

Shiro, still watching Keith, responded, “Well…”


	5. Incubus Awakened

"Keith is half incubus and half faun. Almost all children of faun hybrids only display their faun-inherited traits. Antlers, hooves, fur… you get the picture.” Shiro explained.

Lance watched as Hunk led Keith to the water. Coran pulled himself out onto land, curiously examining Keith’s face.

“Very occasionally, a half-breed will deviate from that, and it hasn’t always been the best.” Shiro finished.

Lance tore his attention away from Coran and Keith to look at Shiro. Shiro’s eyebrows were furrowed, his mouth in a tight line.

“What happens? I mean, to half-breeds?” Lance inquired.

“Well, the last time there was an incident like this, there was a half merfolk, half succubus girl. She ended up awakening her succubus side and she drowned in her home. Her succubus genes gave her lungs and she died…”

“Keith’s gonna die?!”

“Keith is not going to die,” assured Coran. “However, there may be a slight problem with you being here, Lance.”

“Please not more weird fairytale stuff…” Lance groaned.

Pidge chuckled from atop her rock, “Oh, Lance. With us, it's always weird fairytale stuff.”

“It appears Keith’s incubus instincts have caused him to choose you as his… victim.” Coran said uneasily. 

Keith seemed stunned, grabbing fistfuls of the grass beneath him. He looked tense and unsure of how to react. Hunk gave him a consoling pat on the back.

Lance shook his head, trying to convince himself that this was all just a big, crazy dream. He knew it wasn’t, but he couldn’t help hoping.

“I just… want to go home,” Lance said quietly. “This is a lot of information to take in, all of this, and I’m just really confused and really tired.”

Shiro checked his watch, nodding at the time that was displayed. 

“Keith. Take Lance back home. And for his sake, don’t bring him back,” Shiro instructed.

Keith grit his teeth, his eyes regaining that angry glow.

“Lance stays with me,” Keith insisted.

“Keith,” Allura interrupted, joining Coran on land, “It really is best if you cut contact with him. You are dangerous. We don't know the full extent of your new abilities.”

Keith lunged at her, seething at the thought of being away from Lance. Luckily, she was able to retreat before he managed to lay a hand on her.

Hunk clicked his tongue at the sight. He pulled Keith back, letting him calm down.

Lance idled over, pulling Keith up to his feet.

“Listen, mister,” Lance commanded, poking a finger at Keith, “You can’t just abduct me from my bed, drag me out to a weird forest, tell me y’all are cryptids, and then leave me out here. Take. Me. Home.”

The last three words were each accented with a jab to Keith’s chest. Keith ran a hand through his hair, agitated.

“Fine… just… close your eyes.”

Lance woke up in a panic, his alarm screaming for him to get up. He quieted it and looked around, confused. He didn’t remember coming home. The last thing he remembered was… the forest. Keith had told him to close his eyes, and he couldn’t recall anything after that.

Speaking of which, where was Keith? He wasn’t anywhere in the room… 

Maybe last night really had been just a crazy nightmare. There's no way something like that could have actually happened. Fair folk didn't exist. 

Lance busied himself with getting ready for his eleven o’clock lecture. Today would be like any other day, he convinced himself. He wasn't going to let his crazy dreamscape mess with his head. When Keith got back, he knew this would all be sorted out. He would ask Keith if it was real and Keith would look at him like he was crazy. That would be normal.

So off Lance went to the lecture hall, a bounce in his walk and a smile on his face. Not a care in the world. After all, who really bothered with dreams?

Keith apparently bothered with dreams.

“Lance. You're back,” he said as Lance came into the dorm. He was seated on his bed, watching Lance as he stripped off his jacket.

“Yeah… I am.”

It wasn't usual for Keith to really acknowledge Lance’s existence. After all, they weren't close friends or anything.

“Listen, can we… um, talk about last night?” Keith stood, his posture closed, his hands wringing together, and his brow furrowed.

Lance cocked an eyebrow at Keith. He didn’t really understand what the mullet-head was getting at.

“Last… night…”

“Last night.”

“Okay…? And what exactly happened last night?”

Keith let out a frustrated groan.

“Vernal equinox, Lance! Creepy forest? Allura, Coran, Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro? Ringing any bells for you?” Keith gestured wildly around as if his random hand movements would somehow help get his point across.

Lance stiffened as Keith talked. No… no no no. It was real. He'd tried so hard to convince himself it wasn’t, but it was real, and he couldn’t stop it.

“Lance?”

“What is there to talk about?” Lance huffed out, “It’s over. You're not going to take me back there, so I don't have to worry about anything, right? I mean, Shiro specifically _told_ you not to take me back. I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything about the fair folk and that will be the end of that.”

“Lance, that’s not-”

Lance cut him off, “Listen, buddy. The year is almost over. I’ll be going back to Cuba and you’ll do… whatever. It's highly unlikely that we’re going to be roommates next year, and we don't have any classes together. After this, you won't ever have to see me again. We can just pretend nothing ever happened. Happy?”

Lance regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Keith’s expression could only be described as one thing. Heartbroken.

“Lance… I just-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Keith. Not after the weird stuff that happened last night.”

Keith watched Lance as he busied around the room, his heartbroken expression never changing...


	6. Things That Go Boo in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dubcon kissing.

Two weeks without another kidnapping incident. Also… two weeks without Keith.

Lance hadn’t seen the other man since their little scuffle. He’d heard that Keith moved in with Shiro temporarily, but rumors were rumors and nothing was confirmed.

It bothered him though, that Keith had just up and disappeared without another word to Lance. He felt guilty, like this was somehow all his fault. He tried to rationalize his thoughts, convince himself that Keith was the one in the wrong. After all, it was Keith who dragged him into this mess.

Whatever the case, Lance was glad he hadn’t been abducted again. It was weird enough the first time and he didn’t need a repeat of that.

As he laid in bed that night, he expected it to be like any other night. No roommate, no noise, and a peaceful night of sleep.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

2:33 A.M. Who the hell would be banging on his door at 2:33 A.M.?

Lance pulled himself out of bed reluctantly. The pounding on his door only got louder as the seconds ticked by.

“Hold your horses,” he grumbled, slipping on his bathrobe over his nearly naked form. 

He opened the door only to see Keith standing there, fist still raised to knock. It was quite a surprise, to say the least.

“Lance,” Keith breathed out, “Please let me in.”

Lance hesitated, if only for a moment, before stepping aside to let Keith into the room.

He was quick to come in, his hands balled into fists at his sides. He didn’t make eye contact with Lance, opting instead to sit primly on his bed.

“Why didn't you just unlock the door?” Lance asked, irritated.

“Shiro took my keys away. He said he didn't trust me to stay away from you.”

Lance nodded, closing the door before sitting across from Keith on his own bed.

“What do you want anyways? It’s late and I’m exhausted.” Lance pushed. He hoped it wasn’t a repeat of the incident from a couple of weeks ago.

Looking back, he would have much preferred a repeat of the incident instead of what actually happened. What actually happened was Keith launching himself at Lance.

Lance let out a cry of surprise, toppling over backwards onto his bed. Keith loomed above him and Lance watched with horror as his horns shimmered into existence atop his head. He grinned wickedly down at Lance as he pinned Lance’s hands above his head with a firm grip.

Keith used his other hand to grab at Lance’s jaw, forcing the other to look at him. Lance whimpered, fearing for his life. What was Keith going to do with him? Cut him open? Bash his face in? The “horned demon” could have done any number of horrific things in that instant. Lance was immobile, shocked.

Keith leaned down and Lance squeezed his eyes shut. He waited with baited breath for Keith to just… Well, he didn’t know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't what happened.

Keith dragged his tongue up the length of Lance’s neck, from collarbone to earlobe. Lance yelped in shock and Keith took the opportunity to catch Lance’s mouth with his own.

Lance struggled under the pressing hold Keith had on him and somehow managed to get his arms free. But he didn’t try to escape. He didn’t really oppose to the kissing, much to his own surprise. Maybe it was because he was so tired, or maybe Keith’s succubus nature was somehow influencing his thoughts. Lance didn't know which, but with Keith’s mouth on his, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Keith kissed messily, which wasn’t expected, given how tidy he was with everything else. He kissed like he was starving, like he was trying to drink in every inch of Lance. He kissed _desperately_.

Keith pulled away, panting for air. His lips shone with the saliva coating them, his breaths hot on Lance’s face.

“Shiro was right.” Keith laughed before continuing, “I can’t be trusted to stay away from you.” His voice trailed into a husky whisper, the same one he’d used when he had abducted Lance.

Lance shivered at that, coupled with the look in Keith’s eyes. They were glowing again, narrowed in on him and him alone. He felt like a deer caught in the gaze of a wolf. He was truly, legitimately scared of Keith.

Keith took advantage of the other’s panic, taking Lance's hands into his own and intertwining their fingers. He had Lance’s hands pinned to the bed again, one on each side of the brunette’s face. Lance was unable to move, unable to speak. Keith looked like he could snap Lance in half at any second and while Lance usually _loved_ being dominated by strong people, he was afraid Keith would straight up kill him.

Neither of them moved for a solid minute, simply watching the other. Lance closed his eyes, ready to accept that this is how he was going to die, pinned beneath his crazy roommate with said crazy roommate’s saliva drying on both his neck and his mouth.

But Keith didn’t kill him, and Lance was starting to believe that Keith _wouldn’t_ kill him. That was actually a nice notion and Lance was going to hold onto it for as long as he could.

Keith broke the silence with a chaste kiss to Lance's mouth. He then began peppering kisses all across Lance’s face, light, butterfly kisses that were not at all like his slobbery mouth-makeout from a few minutes ago.

Lance could feel tears welling up under his eyelids, still refusing to open his eyes and see the monster looming above him. One of the tears escaped his eye, trailing down his cheek only to gently be kissed away by Keith. Lance turned his head away from Keith, what with the latter no longer holding his face in place.

“Lance…” Keith purred, settling his body on top of Lance’s, his face in the crook of Lance’s neck. “Lance… I know you want this. You like me, don't you? You’ve just been denying and denying…”

“Keith, please…”

“Please what?” Keith murmured, mouthing at the tip of Lance’s ear. He ground himself against Lance and Lance could _feel_ Keith hard against his leg.

“Keith… I don’t-”

Keith took the opportunity of Lance looking towards him to capture his mouth again.

Lance struggled to push Keith away, but he couldn’t. It was like before, when he’d been unable to wrench his hand away from Keith and was forced to go to the forest. He didn’t want to be forced into what Keith wanted now… And he had a sinking feeling that Keith wanted the thing that ALL incubus want.

“Keith, stop. Please! I don't want this, I don't-”

But Keith was kissing him again, grinding against Lance’s crotch now. Lance couldn’t deny the fact that it felt good. He couldn’t deny that he was half-hard as a result of Keith’s actions.

But he didn’t want this. Kissing? He was okay with that, had enjoyed it, even if it was unexpected. But anything more than that, with Keith of all people, was a definite no.

He whimpered beneath Keith, trapped, scared, and hopeless. Keith would have his way with Lance, and that would be that. Lance couldn’t-

The door slammed open, startling both Keith and Lance. Keith stopped the movement of his hips, glaring at the figure in the door with eyes glowing brighter than Lance had ever seen.

“KEITH!” a familiar voice boomed, “YOU’VE BEEN A BAD, BAD BOY!”

Pidge stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, with Shiro and Hunk behind her.

In an act of defiance, Keith rolled his hips against Lance’s again, moaning exaggeratedly. This only made Pidge angrier, her face twisted into an expression that conveyed pure murderous intent.

She ran towards the two, tackling Keith and pulling him off of Lance. They tumbled across the floor as Lance sat himself upright, wiping at his mouth with his arm.

Hunk came and offered him a comforting hand whilst Shiro assisted Pidge in wrangling the crazed boy. They weren't the heros he expected, but they were the heros he needed.


	7. Prisoner Visitation

Shiro practically _begged_ Lance not to press charges. Lance wasn’t going to and hadn’t been planning on it. After all, Keith hadn’t really done anything Lance didn't consent to or anything Lance wasn’t okay with. It hadn’t gotten to that point, thankfully.

As a precaution, Shiro put Keith under dorm arrest. Like, literal dorm arrest. He was dorm leader and therefore lived in a single-occupant dorm. He tied Keith to his bedpost and left him there while he went to class. Lance was kind of curious, but at the same time didn't want to know, how Keith went to the bathroom when Shiro wasn’t around.

He didn’t complain that Keith was gone, though he did feel bad that Shiro had to babysit the little psycho. It couldn’t have been fun. The last Lance had seen of Keith was when Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro were dragging him out of their shared dorm. Keith had been livid, almost foaming at the mouth. He clawed at the three of them and it took all their strength just to hold him away from Lance.

Shiro gave Lance daily updates, per his request. Keith may have freaked him out on more than one occasion, but Lance couldn’t help feeling sorry for the dude. It wasn't his fault that he was half incubus. It wasn’t his fault that Lance was so damn _beautiful_ either, though Lance would be perfectly content to take credit for that fact.

A knocking came from the door.

“How’s the demon-child?” Lance asked as soon as he opened the door. He expected to see Shiro again, back to update Lance on Keith’s condition. Instead, he was greeted with a sight he was most definitely not ready for. He might have screamed just a teeny tiny bit…

“C-Coran?!”

“Hello, Lance,” Coran spoke in his accented English, “Mind if I come in?”

Lance, speechless to see Coran walking about on two legs, merely let the door swing open wider as Coran walked in. _Walked_ in. He was walking. Coran, the fish man, was WALKING!

“How- what- Coran?” Lance sputtered out, closing the door behind Coran.

“Yes, my boy?”

“You… You’re-” Lance gestured vaguely to Coran’s legs.

Coran looked down and then up again at Lance, confused for a second.

“Oh! These!” Coran kicked out a leg, doing a little jig to show off.

“How… what?”

“Silly Billy. I’m not a merman all the time. Just in the forest!”

Lance nodded because that made some sense. It was the same way with Keith and Shiro, he supposed. Well, with Shiro at least. He cringed, remembering Keith’s attack on him only a few days ago and the way Keith’s eyes had glowed as his horns appeared.

“Anyways, you were asking about the… demon child?” Coran asked.

“Oh, that. Sorry, I thought you were Shiro.”

Lance’s explanation did nothing to fix Coran’s perplexed expression.

“And you are asking Shiro that because of what?” Coran prompted.

Lance shrugged, “Oh, he’s got Keith tied up in his room is all.”

It was Coran’s turn to sputter and gawk.

“What?! Where?!” Coran waved his hands frantically in the air, looking around the room as if the answer to his question would somehow magically appear.

“It’s at the end of the hall. Why are you so concerned?”

Coran took a moment to calm down before speaking, “I actually came to see you and Keith. I thought he would be here with you. Haven’t you both… worked things out?”

Lance blinked at the older man, having no clue what he was talking about. “Worked things out? What do you mean by that?”

Coran sighed deeply, pulling the chair from Lance’s desk and seating himself. Lance sat in front of him, looking up at the merman.

“Last week, in the forest, Keith and Shiro said that you two had worked things out and that Keith’s incubus instincts were no longer an issue. I assumed that this meant the two of you had… _satisfied_ his urges.” Coran explained, almost hesitant in his speech.

“What do you mean by satisfied?!” Lance asked. He had a general idea what it was, but he was hoping it _wasn’t_ what he thought.

“The way they said it, it sounded an awful lot like you two had… done… _it_ ,” Coran trailed off at the end, fully realizing the absurdity of the situation.

Lance buried his face in his hands, embarrassment overcoming him. “We haven't- nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.”

“So am I to assume that Keith’s incubus side is not satisfied?”

Lance sprung up like a weed in spring. “Yes! I mean no! I mean, it’s not satisfied!”

Lance proceeded to explain to Coran what exactly had happened, and why Keith was under lockdown. Coran sat quietly through it all, nodding occasionally.

“Yeah, so that's what happened. I haven't seen Keith since. So whatever Shiro and Keith told you was a lie.”

Lance finished his spiel, noting the look of concern on Coran’s face. Coran twirled his mustache thoughtfully, pondering the new information he’d been given.

“Well… if you and Keith have not done that which I assumed you did, then his incubus side must be taking over. He will continue to pursue you until he is well and done. It’s crucial that it doesn't reach that point. Will you take me to him?” Coran stood, looking at Lance with his biggest puppy eyes, which, to be honest, was not really doing anything to help his case.

“Yes, of course. We can go now. I know Shiro doesn't have a class right now.”

Lance led the way as he and Coran headed towards Shiro’s room. Lance fully expected to see Keith tied up, foaming at the mouth with his horn-antler things visible. The sight that did greet him wasn’t quite what he had imagined.

Coran knocked on the door, his expression taut and his lips pursed. He probably didn't know what to expect either.

Shiro answered a second later, taking a quick peak outside the door before pulling Coran and Lance in.

“Coran!” Shiro scolded, “What are you doing here? You know I can't allow you on campus!”

But Shiro’s words fell of deaf ears, for the other two men were more focused on the sight before them.

Keith was, in fact, tied to the bedpost as expected. However, instead of looking like a rabid beast, he looked _dead_. His face was ashen, his eyes closed, and his hair was a tousled mess. He made no noise save for the occasional shallow breath. He looked thin, too thin. He’d been all muscle the last time Lance had seen him, and now he looked like a limp noodle.

“Keith!” Lance cried out. He was astonished at how horrible Keith looked.

“Shiro! What is the meaning of this? The boy looks starved!” Coran reprimanded.

Shiro shook his head, “He refuses to eat, Coran. I tried, I swear.”

Lance knelt down in front of his former roomate, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Keith snapped his gaze to Lance, suddenly looking more alive.

“Hey, man. You doing okay?” Lance asked.

“Lance, get away from him. We don’t know what he’ll do to you!” Shiro cried out, trying to get to Lance.

Coran put out a hand, stopping Shiro from prying Lance off Keith.

“Coran! He can’t be here! Keith is unstable. He’s- he’ll…”

“Calm down, Shiro,” Coran said cooly, “It’s going to be fine. We can't stop this now. Keith has choosen Lance as his first. We have to respect that.”

“His first?!” Shiro was starting to panic now, his face going pink, his hands balled in fists. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, an incubus gains strength from sexual acts with their victim…” Coran began. He turned to address Lance, “Lance, I know that I said Keith wasn’t going to die before. I assumed the two of you would take care of his _needs_ but that clearly hasn’t happened yet. If you don't help Keith now, he will lose all his strength and subsequently die.”

Lance’s mouth hung open, speechless. 

“Basically,” croaked Keith, surprising everyone, “If I don't have sex with Lance, I’ll die…”


	8. Hard Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was brought to my attention that the last chapter made it sound like Lance was going to end up being forced into things he didn’t want to do. However, this chapter has no dub-con. Zero. Zip. Zilch. The only dubcon that was planned for this fic was that kissing scene back in whatever chapter that was. I always want this fic to be safe for you guys and I don't intend to have any more dubcon. Promise!
> 
> (Thank you Alana~!)

“Why are you even here, Coran?” Shiro asked. 

“I wanted to check on Keith’s condition. It was supposed to be quick…” He answered, sparing a glance at Keith.

“Lance, listen,” Keith croaked out and the other three instantly looked at him.

“I’m an incubus and faun hybrid. Right now, I feel more incubus than faun.” Keith’s voice was rough, like he’d been crying, or screaming. “I can’t eat, because food tastes like cardboard. My body feels like it's on _fire_. I can’t think about anything except getting my hands on you, Lance. But I don't want to think that.”

Coran sucked in a breath behind Lance. Clearly this “check up” was taking a turn for the worse.

“Listen, Lance. I know I dragged you into all this, and I feel absolutely horrible about what I did to you the other night. You know that’s not me. I’m not- I wouldn't…”

“I get it,” said Lance. He didn’t like what Keith had done, but he knew it wasn’t Keith’s fault.

“I _want_ to help you,” Lance assured Keith.

Keith shook his head weakly, “No. No. That’s not right. I’m not going to make you do something out of pity for me. I don’t need your charity.”

“Keith… if you don't then, you’ll die.” Shiro reminded him, voice barely above a whisper.

“No, I won’t,” Keith bit out, shaking Lance’s hands off his shoulders. He struggled against his bonds but was unable to move. “There’s another way. It’s how incubus have lived for centuries.”

Lance sat back on his butt, puzzled as to what Keith could possibly be talking about.

“You _wouldn’t_ ,” Shiro gasped, “Keith, you’re not even fully incubus. That’s not natural for you!”

“Shiro is right, Keith. Lance here seems very adamant about helping you, and it’d put unnecessary stress on your body to do something like that,” Coran piped up.

“I am actually not very adamant about helping Keith. Also, what on Earth are you guys talking about?” Lance groaned, confused and lost in the conversation.

“I can use other people to appease my incubus cravings,” Keith stated bluntly, “I don’t ever need you to do something you don’t want to.”

“Keith!” Shiro cried, “That’s crazy! You can’t just go out and have sex with strangers!”

Keith’s face tightened in indignation and he practically growled at Shiro, “You know as well as I do that this is driving me insane. I can’t just ignore my incubus side forever. I can either go out and do consensual things with strangers, or I can force myself on Lance again. Take a wild fucking guess at which one I’d rather do.”

Shiro grit his teeth, but there was no arguing with Keith.

“Lance,” Keith addressed him, “I’m moving back in with you, if that’s okay. I swear I won’t lay a hand on you. I can control myself better now. I’ve been meditating, working hard to be better. I’m sane right now, Lance. My incubus side is not in control at this moment. This is Keith talking to you. Keith, your roomate, not Keith the incubus. Please, just consider it.”

Lance could feel Shiro and Coran’s gazes on him as he pondered over Keith’s words. Keith had apologized for his actions. He’d taken responsibility for things that weren’t even his fault. He seemed sincere. Lance had lived with Keith for more than a semester. Lance _knew_ Keith wasn’t the type to make bad decisions. He was competant, knew what he was doing. Everything that had happened was a result of Keith’s genes; were a result of something he had no control over.

“I trust you. You can move back in.”

“Lance,” Shiro warned, “You don’t know what will happen. Even if Keith thinks he can control himself, you don’t know if he really can.”

Lance turned to look at Shiro. “Okay, then you can stay with us for a week and monitor him.”

Shiro opened his mouth as if to protest, then closed it again as he thought about it.

“That’s... actually not a bad idea,” Coran input.

“Shiro?” Keith asked, shaking his bangs out of his face.

“Fine,” Shiro grumbled reluctantly, “One week. If anything happens, I’m putting Keith back in my room.”

“Well, that settles it,” said Coran, “Lance, I trust you’ll do what’s best for yourself. I know this isn’t an ideal situation, but I believe you are in good hands under Shiro.”

Lance nodded, “I’ll be okay, Coran.”

Less than an hour after Keith was let go, he was gone. He’d gone out to find someone to help him get over his incubus cravings. Lance didn’t think too hard about it, instead opting to focus on his studies. Shiro was to sleep with Keith on his bed, so had moved in as soon as Keith had left.

“So, what exactly is Keith doing right now?” Lance asked hesitantly, not sure if he really wanted an answer to the question.

Shiro sighed before answering his question. “Normally, a full incubus or succubus goes out and seduces mortals and then uses the life force they gain to sustain themselves. Half-breeds will choose only one partner to devote themselves to until that partner has reached the end of their natural lifespan, then move on to another partner, using that life force that they gain to live for centuries.”

“I thought you said most half-breeds never showed their incubus or succubus sides!”

“But the ones who have have lived on and on and on,” Shiro stated.

“When Keith goes out, he’ll have to work his body twice, maybe three times as hard to get life force, because the people he’s with aren’t his chosen ones and won't give off as much energy…” Shiro continued.

“Wait, so Keith’s just sucking the life out of people?!”

“No!” Shiro said hastily, “He’s using the energy they expel during the act of… you know… to sustain himself.”

Lance shivered at that mental image. As much as he felt bad for Keith, he knew he couldn’t help him. This wasn’t something he wanted to do and it made him eternally grateful to Keith for not forcing him. 

Shiro finished moving his clothes and bath accessories to the room long before Keith returned home. In fact, Keith didn’t return home until nearly three in the morning.

Lance was still awake, though Shiro had long since gone to bed. Lance couldn’t sleep, too worked up from the day’s events.

The door opened quietly, Keith’s figure illuminated from the hallway light. He stumbled into the room, nearly limping as he collapsed against Shiro on the bed. Lance could _smell_ him from where he was. He stank of _sex_ and sweat, like cheap booze and cigarettes.

Lance rolled onto his side, choosing to ignore Keith. He’d made his decision clear. He wasn't going to help Keith. Not with this...


	9. And Everything Goes to Shit

The week went by without incident. Keith came home at three every night on the dot. Shiro was a perfect roommate, always so polite. Shiro told him not to worry about Keith. Told him he could always talk to him if he needed anything after the week was over.

But Lance felt uneasy. He watched Keith suffering every night. He watched Keith limp to bed, saw the bruises on his arms, his legs, his _neck_. And as the morning light filtered in through the small window, Lance saw the dried fluids caking Keith’s body. It made bile rise in his throat, the fact that Keith was too exhausted to even clean himself.

Lance hadn’t talked to Keith since he moved back in. Keith was either sleeping, in class, or out doing whatever it was that had him coming back home looking like shit. He was starting to earn himself a bad rep… Lance swore he heard someone refer to Keith as an “easy fuck”. That actually made Lance puke.

Lance was surprised to find Keith awake when he came home from class that day.

Keith sat at his desk, back slouched and his head in his hands. He looked absolutely exhausted, his body sagging in the chair and his eyes rimmed with red, like he’d been crying. He didn’t even bother to look at Lance as he came in.

“Hey…” Lance spoke hesitantly, unsure of what to say. It’d been nearly two weeks since Keith had moved back in and they hadn’t exchanged a word since. What was he supposed to say?

“Hey,” Keith croaked back. He met Lance’s gaze warily.

They sat there, staring at each other in silence. What was there to say? _Hey, sorry you have to have sex every night. Hey, how’s the incubus thing coming along? Hey, sorry I won't fuck you._

Lance wanted to scream because this was so awkward and he WANTED to say something but he _couldn’t_. 

“Need help with that?” Lance finally forced out, shoving a hand at the paper spread across Keith’s desk.

“You an expert on astronomy?” Keith chuckled, a faint smile gracing his face.

Lance felt himself smiling back, “You’d be surprised, Mullet.”

Keith pouted at that but nodded that, yes, he did need help.

Lance pulled his chair over, shoving Keith aside so that he could sit in front of the desk too. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with Keith, he could still smell the faint hint of cigarette smoke on him, the faint smell of sweat and various other bodily fluids. It made Lance’s stomach turn. Here was Keith, studying astronomy, but smelling so distinctly _incubus_. Lance hated the thought. Hated that Keith was leading a life like this all because Lance wouldn’t just fuck him. It made him feel guilty, feel like he was somehow obligated to do something for Keith.

“Lance? Are you just going to sit there or you gonna help me?” Keith prodded lightly.

Lance flashed him a smile, “Sorry. Where were we?”

Keith reached across Lance, pointing to a paper with a diagram of the Andromeda galaxy on it. He explained his assignment to Lance; label the parts of the galaxy and how they formed, then write a conclusion. Simple enough.

Lance pointed out a spot on the diagram where a lot of matter had accumulated.

“That’s accretion. Label it.”

Keith did as told and the two of them continued on, Lance instructing Keith on what to do. Keith worked diligently, not complaining at all and doing exactly as told. They finished up within an hour, Lance beaming with pride at how amazing the assignment looked.

“Thanks for helping me,” Keith said as he packed up his things, “I haven't been able to keep up with schoolwork since I’ve been preoccupied doing…”

Keith trailed off, realizing what he'd said.

The awkward silence returned, thick enough to be cut with a knife. Lance didn't know if there was an appropriate response to your roommate telling you that they couldn't study because they were too busy having crazy demon sex. If there was, he didn't know it.

Keith checked his watch, grimacing at what he saw.

"I better get going, Lance. Thanks for your help."

Lance knew what Keith was going to go do now, and he hated it. It wasn't right for Keith to be pushing himself like this, incubus or not. He felt bad for the guy, wanted to assist in any way he could.

"Keith," he blurted as Keith was grabbing his jacket, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Keith paused with one arm in a sleeve and looked up at Lance, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Help? You helped me plenty today. I mean, unless you want to _keep_ doing my astronomy homework."

Lance shook his head. "No, not with that. I meant, like, with the whole incubus thing. I feel bad that you're doing this because I wouldn't- Well, you know."

Keith blushed, slipping his jacket on and zipping it up all the way as if he was trying to hide himself from Lance's gaze. He shuffled towards the door, hand perched on the knob.

"It's fine, Lance. Really. It's not your fault, I already told you that. I don't want a repeat of what happened that one night. I wouldn't do that to you. So, thanks... but no thanks."

Then he was leaving, the door closing quietly behind him.

And Lance was left there to stare at the wall Keith had just stood in front of, wondering why he was trying so hard. Wondering why he needed so badly to help Keith with this thing that he wasn't even sure he was comfortable doing. Lance couldn't wrap his mind around it, around this aching need to just help Keith. It hurt, to know that the same Keith he had just helped do astronomy homework was now going out and having sex with strangers who came in his hair and on his face. Strangers that used him as a sex toy and nothing more. It hurt to know that Keith was going to a place where people smoked, and drank. To a place where anyone would fuck anyone and be _okay_ with it. It hurt because Lance _knew_ that that wasn't who Keith was. That was the incubus inside him, the monster that made him do these things.

Lance didn't know what to do. He needed to talk to somebody about this. Maybe he was just feeling guilty, or maybe it was something more. Either way, he had his mind made up. He needed an unbiased opinion on this. He needed to go back to the forest...

 

"Please, Shiro!!"

"Lance, I've already told you. No! I'm not going to take you to the forest. You know that that's a bad idea."

Lance lowered himself onto his knees, hands clasped in front of him, begging.

"Shiro~! I need to talk to another fair folk. Please please please please please please please..."

Shiro closed the door on Lance's fifth "please". Lance placed his hands against the door, not stopping his pleading. That is, until a passerby gave him a weird look and he smiled awkwardly at them.

"Shiro!" Lance groaned.

The door swung open and Lance nearly fell into Shiro's legs.

"If I take you tomorrow, will you shut up and go to sleep?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Shiro closed the door again.

"Does that mean you're taking me?" Lance asked loudly.

"Yes! Now go to bed!" Shiro called through the door.

Lance jumped to his feet, doing a little victory dance. He practically ran back to his room, happy that he'd get to talk to someone about the situation. He would've talked to Shiro, if he could've, but Shiro was kind of biased. Shiro would always choose to save Keith if he could. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he could talk to Coran, or even Pidge and Hunk. He obviously couldn't talk about this to someone who wasn't a fair folk, but at least he had the people in the forest to discuss with.

Friday couldn't come fast enough. Shiro knocked on his door at five that evening and Lance opened the door in a flourish, ready to be whisked away. Except this time, it was of his own choosing.

"I'm ready!" he exclaimed happily.

"We're not going yet."

Lance sagged, his demeanor changing dramatically. "What? Then when?"

Shiro stood in his usual getup, furry ears still tucked away. "When Keith gets back, we'll go."

“But, that’s, like, ten hours from now!” Lance complained.

“It’s nine hours from now, tops.” Shiro crossed his arms, not giving Lance a chance to argue. “Besides, nobody else will be in the forest until then.”

Lance sighed, but there was really no arguing with that logic.

“So what’s up?” Lance asked. If Shiro wasn't there to take him to the forest, he must’ve had another reason for stopping by.

“Dorm check today.”

Lance’s eyes widened, “Oh. OH. That’s today? Oh man. Uhm, okay.”

He moved out of the doorway to let Shiro in.

“Why so nervous, Lance? You got something to hide?” Shiro chuckled at his own joke.

“Only the trash that I’ve yet to take out.”

“Trust me, Lance. I’ve seen worse than just some trash.”

Shiro began by looking through Lance’s closet, sifting through the clothes with ease. Then he moved on to the desk, opening and examining each drawer. Then the bed, where he lifted the mattress and checked under the bed frame. No weapons, no drugs, and no prohibited items. Lance was good to go.

Shiro repeated his search on Keith’s side of the room, but stopped short when he opened the closet. He stared at something inside for a long moment.

“What’s wrong?” Lance asked curiously, shuffling over to see what Shiro was so baffled by.

Keith’s closet was very bare, only a couple of shirts hung up and a few pairs of pants folded on the shelf. What caught both Shiro and Lance’s attention was the beige box in the corner. The beige box with the lid eskew, the contents inside clearly visible.

Shiro knelt down and pulled the box towards him. He looked at it in disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe it was real.

The box, which was about the size of a shoebox, had what seemed to be an endless supply of lube and condoms. Sex toys piled up on one side, cock rings and ball gags and anal plugs galore. Everything looked relatively new, many of the items still in thier original packaging.

Lance had to look away. Here was Shiro, Keith’s closest friend, staring down at a box of explicit items that were definitely not allowed in the dorms. The box was a testament to what Keith was doing outside of campus, what Keith was doing because he was a half incubus. The box proved that everything they had suspected Keith of doing was real.

Lance turned back to see Shiro angrily slamming the lid back on the box and shoving it back into the corner.

“You’re not confiscating it?” Lance asked as the box slid to a stop against the wall.

“Extenuating circumstances,” Shiro responded shortly. His mouth was set in a tight line, his body ridgid.

He stood and brushed off his pants, not even bothering to check the bathroom.

“K9s are coming in in about ten minutes. You better pray that Keith hasn’t been hanging out with the sort of crowd that would get you in trouble with those dogs,” Shiro told him tersely. Then he was walking out the door and down the hall to the next room.

 

Shiro took him to the forest after Keith returned. Shiro had invited him to come along, but he’d just shrugged before collapsing on his bed in another disgusting stew of fluids and scents.

The trip to the forest was different than Lance remembered. Shiro walked faster than Keith had, the ground beneath him seeming to melt away into nothingness instead of simply transitioning from concrete to moss. The forest came into view, as if it was a small forest clearing floating in a sea of darkness. They stumbled into the space together.

Hunk and Allura were there, waving to them excitedly.

Pidge wasn’t in the forest that night, and neither was Coran. Allura said Coran had some work to take care of and Hunk informed him that Pidge was busy working on one of her new-fangled technology things.

And as much as Lance needed help, he didn’t feel comfortable talking to Allura about his Keith problem. That left either Shiro or Hunk, and he already knew he couldn’t ask Shiro for help with this.

He approached the wild cinnamon tree nymph with caution. How exactly was he supposed to broach this subject?

How about, _Hey, Hunk. What do I do about Keith’s insatiable sex drive? Is it my fault that he has to go do all this incubus shit?_.

As Lance approached Hunk, it seemed as if he could read Lance’s mind.

“Hey, Lance. You want to talk about something?”


	10. Lonely but Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the phrasing gets a bit awkward towards the end. I tried to fit in everything I wanted without making it sound long and boring. I rewrote a lot of stuff but I think it gets my message across pretty well. If not, please leave a comment and let me know.

“Lance, I’ve known Keith since we were kids. Everyone in the forest has. We grew up together, here in the forest. Each fair folk is taken to their own forest, a place that benefits them, a place they can call home. It’s not coincidence that Keith and I ended up in this forest together. It’s not coincidence that Keith brought you here either.”

Hunk had his arm around Lance’s shoulder. Lance felt safe in his embrace. It might’ve also helped that Hunk smelled like wild cinnamon. That made sense though, seeing as he was a wild cinnamon tree nymph.

“Hasn’t Keith brought other humans here though? I thought Allura or someone said something like that the first time I came here.”

“Well, yeah. But most of the time it’s humans that have- that…”

Lance waited with baited breath as Hunk struggled with his words.

“Humans that what, Hunk?”

“Humans that are about to die.”

Lance’s mouth hung open. He spluttered out something unintelligible and just stared at Hunk.

“What?!” he squeaked out.

Hunk pulled his arm away from Lance, instead fiddling his fingers nervously.

“Well, like, when we know that a human is about to die, we will sometimes bring them here to make a choice.” Hunk glanced over at Lance, trying to judge his reactions.

“They can either pass on, or we offer them a second chance at life, but as a fair folk this time,” Hunk finished.

Lance blinked, trying to comprehend what Hunk had just told him.

“Do- I mean, has anyone actually done that? Become a fair folk?”

Hunk nodded. “Most people choose to move on, but our own Allura and Coran were both once humans.”

“Oh…”

They sat there quietly, not saying a word. Lance pondered this new information in his head.

“So why did Keith bring me here? I mean, I’m not dying…”

Hunk merely blinked at him, looking somewhere between disappointed and exasperated.

“Oh. Because of the incubus thing. Right, right.” Lance chuckled to himself at his own forgetfulness. 

“Yeah… The incubus thing…”

The mood seemed to shift then. Both boys were reminded of their original conversation. What was Lance to do about Keith?

Hunk laid a comforting hand atop Lance’s.

“Lance, I know this must be hard for you. After all, you’re probably straight-”

“I’m not.”

“-and even if you aren't, you probably don't have feelings for Keith-”

“I kinda do, I think.”

“-and even if you do, you’re probably freaked out by all this fair folk stuff.”

Lance couldn’t deny that that was true.

“I don’t _know_ , Hunk.” Lance whined. “I feel guilty! I feel like I should be doing something to help Keith! But at the same time, I don’t want to!”

Hunk squeezed Lance’s hand, commanding his attention.

“Lance. None of this is your fault. You were dragged into this by Keith when he was under the influence of his incubus side. You didn't choose this. If anything, the forest chose you. You're not obligated to help Keith, and the faster you realize that, the better.” 

Lance sighed, but nodded. “Okay. Yeah, you're right. I still feel like this whole thing is somehow my fault.”

Hunk wrapped his arms around Lance, hugging away his insecurities.

“It’s not your fault. It will never be your fault. You're never obligated to help Keith. You are someone worthy of their own body and their own thoughts. If you don't consent, then there is nothing Keith can do to change that, okay?” Hunk’s words were soft whispers into Lance's ear.

Lance could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He could feel the tension draining from him. He was happy to have Hunk’s reassurance. Happy to have found a friend through the entire crazy ordeal.

Lance pulled back from Hunk to wipe at his eyes. “Thanks, Hunk. I really needed to hear that.”

Lance returned home to find Keith still fast asleep, but now with antlers atop his head. His blankets were kicked to the bottom of the bed and his shirt was riding halfway up his torso. His hair was strewn about on the pillow as drool leaked from the corner of his half-open mouth.

Lance shook his head at the sight and made his way over to his own bed, exhausted and ready for sleep. He didn’t think he could ever like someone who slept so messily, despite what he'd said to Hunk before.

Lance continued to go to the forest with Shiro every week. He hung out with Hunk and Pidge a lot, slowly becoming part of their little friendship. He learned that the two of them were attending a university on the other side of town from where Lance was. Hunk and Pidge shared so many of his interests and he was happy to play with them.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Lance couldn’t quite keep track of everything going on in his life. Classes, skyping his family, homework, finals, and the forest! It was all a blur in his overexcited mind. But he did notice one thing, and that was Keith.

Keith seemed to be asleep or away every day. Lance noticed that Keith wasn’t going to his classes and he was constantly opening the door to find one of Keith’s classmates come to give Keith his homework. Lance would leave the papers on Keith’s desk, but the pile only grew larger. Keith didn’t even bother to look through the work.

Lance was worried, but he didn’t ponder on it too long. He remembered Hunk’s words and told himself that Keith’s affairs weren't his problems to worry about.

It was late when Lance got home and he was surprised to see Keith still in the room.

“Hey, Keith.”

Keith turned around, looking startled to see Lance standing there. He was wearing pajamas for once, which was a bit out of the norm. Keith normally just passed out at three in the morning when he came home. Lance was shocked to see just how ghostly Keith looked, his frame thin and the bags under his eyes only accentuated by the weight loss.

Lance cocked his head to the side at Keith’s lack of response to his greeting. “You doing okay, man?”

Keith worried his lip between his teeth, avoiding Lance’s gaze. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“How can I _not_ worry about you? I mean, look at you!” Lance gestured to Keith’s tiny frame.

Keith swatted Lance’s hand away from him, covering himself almost defensively. He turned away from Lance and flopped onto his bed, rolling onto his side and facing the wall. He buried his face into his pillow, mumbling out something incomprehensible.

“What?”

Keith raised his voice, “I’m just tired, okay? It’s not like being an incubus is easy…”

Lance made his way to the edge of Keith’s bed. He hovered there, arms crossed, but no real anger behind his posture.

“Keith. You literally have a giant pile of homework just stacked on your desk. You look like you’ve lost twenty pounds just in the last month. You sleep the day away and when you’re not sleeping, you’re… out and about. You come home at three in the morning every day and I haven’t seen you attend any of your classes in weeks!” Lance was fuming. Maybe it was an instinct he had, the need to take care of others. With his younger siblings he’d always had the urge to protect him, and he supposed that that kindness extended to his roommate.

Keith rolled onto his back and stared up at Lance who had relaxed his pose, his crossed arms now conveying disappointment instead of annoyance.

“If my coming home late is bothering you, I can change that. I’m sorry if I’m keeping you up or if I’m too loud.”

Lance let out a screech of indignation. “Were you listening to me at all?!”

“Yeah, I was listening. You insulted me and then said that I come home late every day.”

Lance flopped down to sit on the edge of Keith’s bed. He stared up at the ceiling, unable to even _look_ at Keith, he was so exasperated.

“I don’t want you to suffer. I don’t know what you’re doing to solve your incubus problems, but I don’t like the way it’s affecting you. Like, you’re my roommate. I see you every day and I _see_ how you’ve changed. The Keith I know is this hotheaded, angry Korean boy that keeps knives in his shoes and eats nothing but noodles. Now you’re… different, I guess.”

“Lance…”

Lance turned to look at Keith, his hair falling off his face and his eyes shining with unshed emotion. Keith reached a hand out to tug at Lance’s jacket and pull him down to lay beside him.

“Lay down.”

Lance followed his directions, laying on his side to face Keith. He was used to this, this comforting of people. He was good at offering cuddles and emotional support, and that seemed to be what Keith needed. Keith curled his hand into the edge of Lance’s jacket as he spoke, toying with the zipper.

“It’s not easy for me to stay away from you. It’s not _easy_ being an incubus. I can’t eat anything anymore because everything tastes gross. I’m too tired to be angry all the time. I just… I want you to quit worrying about me, but at the same time, I don’t? I don’t know if that's the incubus talking or if that’s just… me. But I hate it. I hate not knowing and I hate feeling so needy. I don't need you to care about me as much as you seem to.”

Keith buried his face into Lance’s jacket, trying to hide the emotion written all over his face. Trying to hide the truth about what he felt.

“Why don’t you just talk to me, Keith? I want to help you. It bothers the heck out of me to see you not acting like your normal self. Like it or not, I have to care about you. We live together, for crying out loud.”

Lance could hear Keith sniffling but he couldn’t even be bothered by the fact that Keith was probably rubbing snot all over his jacket.

“You just… Everytime I look at you, I get this feeling. It’s because I’m an incubus, I know that. But I can’t change the fact that I feel it. I’m mad because I didn’t feel this way before and now all this incubus shit is messing up my life! It’s making you care about me when you never did before, when you don't need to care about me. It’s making you pity me!”

“I’m not pitying you. I’ve always cared! I mean, I’ve always thought of you as my rival, but that's still caring. What could you possibly be feeling that makes you think you’re whole life is so messed up?”

“You- I- I don’t know. I thought you just hated me or something. I guess that I used to just think about you as _Lance_ , my annoying roommate-”

“Thanks,” Lance monotoned.

“-and now you’re _LANCE_. You look so beautiful all the time, even when you’re sweaty, or stuffing your face with food, or even when you have that stupid face mask of your’s on. And you smell so damn good. I never thought about you like this, not before the stupid incubus stuff. You were always just Lance, the guy who hated me. Nothing more and nothing less. I don’t want to feel this way. I don't want to feel like I need you. I especially don’t want you feeling like you need to worry about me or be concerned about my health. I wish I could just stop being an incubus.”

Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulder, rubbing a hand up and down the other boy’s back to try and comfort him.

“You think I’m beautiful?” Lance laughed. He never thought he’d be hearing those words out of Keith’s mouth.

“Shut up!” Keith groaned, “It’s the incubus talking, okay?”

“Sure it is.” Lance paused. “I’m going to care about you. You’re just a college kid who’s life has been completely flipped around. You’re my roommate, but you're also my friend. Just because we're rivals doesn't mean I can’t feel concerned about your situation. I care about you because you matter to me, even if it’s only because we’re rivals. You dragged me into this, so stop trying to push me out, got it?”

Keith nodded against Lance’s body. “Yeah. Yeah, okay. Thanks, roomie.”

They settled into a comfortable silence after that, cuddled together on Keith’s bed. Lance couldn’t comprehend how he’d been brought to this moment. Everything had happened so fast. Now he was here, on Keith’s bed, holding the horned demon in his arms. It was crazy, to say the least. Lance wasn’t even sure how he felt about Keith. The things Keith had confessed were so personal and heartfelt. Keith had never opened up like this before. 

Lance had to ask himself if he genuinely liked Keith, or if he just liked the attention that Keith was giving him? He couldn’t tell. This must’ve been what Keith was feeling, warring between his faun and incubus sides and unable to distinguish his feelings about Lance. It was depressing to think about.

Keith’s snore brought Lance back to the present. Keith had fallen asleep, his face pressed up against Lance’s chest. 

Maybe Lance couldn’t help Keith with everything. But this, well, this was something he was good at. He was good at helping others, good at expressing his feelings to the ones he cared about.

He pulled Keith closer, burying his nose into Keith’s hair and securing his arms around the other. It didn’t matter what Lance’s romantic stance on Keith was. He knew what he was feeling in that moment, and that was the need to hold Keith closer, to not lose the roommate, the _friend_ , he’d grown oddly fond of. He needed to know that he could help in some way, that he could take care of Keith. It wasn’t out of obligation or desire to feel useful either. He needed to help Keith because as much as Keith needed Lance, Lance also needed Keith, even if it WAS just so that they could split the cost of rent together.

Lance couldn’t stop thinking about the volatile, angry rival he’d been roomed with, thinking about everything that had happened with the forest and the fair folk. He couldn’t help wondering how his life had become so insane in the short span of a couple months. But he couldn’t bring himself to hate it. He loved the fair folk, loved going every week to see Hunk and Pidge, to play in the water with Allura and Coran. He loved Shiro’s soft ears and he loved going every week to the forest to see everyone. Lance loved his strange life, and all be damned, he probably loved Keith too.

Lance loved him. Lance _loved_ Keith. He loved _Keith_. He repeated the words to himself over and over, unable to deny the phrase. Keith was a madman, a fair folk possessed by his desire to overtake Lance. But Keith was more than just an incubus, more than just a faun. He was a person, and a caring one at that, even when his incubus side made him do horrible things. He was emotional, soft, and he tried so damn hard just to make sure Lance was comfortable. Keith was confident and smart, he was Lance's roommate. He was more than just a roommate. He’d grown to become Lance’s friend. And Lance loved him. Or, he had the potential to love him. He could love Keith, the same way he loved the forest and his family. Keith was someone that Lance knew he didn’t want to live without, not after all the shit they’d gone through together. Lance wouldn’t abandon Keith, wouldn’t let him struggle alone. That evening had only solidified his feelings about Keith and he finally fell into sleep with that feeling filling him. That feeling that Keith was a part of his family, deserving of care and affection, and that Lance needed to do what he could to protect him.

The bed was cold when Lance woke up. Keith had gone, his shoes missing from beside the door. Lance could still smell him on the sheets, could still see the imprint of where he had lain. 

Lance sat up, rubbing at his tired eyes. The memory of what had happened the night before came to him and he sat still as a rock, as if his rigid posture would somehow change what he had felt last night. But it didn’t. Keith had shown his humanity last night, had shown his insecurities and his doubts. Lance couldn’t ignore that, couldn’t ignore the aching in his chest when he thought about what Keith had been doing every time he’d been out. He couldn’t ignore the way he felt, couldn’t ignore the potential he had to love Keith.

As he sat there thinking, he noticed something odd. Keith’s closet was barren. Like, completely empty. No clothes, no shoes, no nothing. The pile of homework that was once on Keith’s desk was gone, too.

Lance’s eyes widened in shock. No. No no no no no. He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled to the bathroom, pulling open drawers and cabinets. Keith’s things were nowhere to be found. Even his toothbrush was missing. Lance came to the chilling conclusion that Keith had gone and was probably not coming back...


	11. Help and Hope

Keith was gone. He’d left without a word to Lance about it. The only thing he’d left behind were his bedsheets and pillow, as well as his beige box. Yes, _that_ beige box. He’d left it on Lance’s desk, though Lance couldn’t bring himself to touch it.

Instead, Lance stood stunned in the middle of the room, not quite comprehending how he’d gone from having a meaningful conversation with Keith and holding him in his arms to standing there in shock. Lance did the only thing he could think of given the situation.

“SHIRO! Open the door, Shiro! I know you’re in there!” Lance pounded on the door to Shiro’s room, his fists turning red as the door rattled in the frame. “Come ON, Takashi. Open up! I got important stuff to talk to you about.”

An angry, half-dressed Shiro swung open the door, towel still wrapped around his shoulders. Water dripped from his hair and his face was creased in annoyance as he peered down at Lance.

“Patience yields focus,” he growled at Lance, “Be _patient_ , Lance, so I can _focus_ on what you’re here for instead of focusing on how upset I am that you nearly broke down my door.”

Lance rolled his eyes at Shiro’s overdramatic words. “I didn’t almost break your door. Calm it. You're almost as angry as Keith.”

Shiro schooled his features, shaking his head at Lance’s statement.

“Speaking of Keith,” Lance said hesitantly, “Do you know where he is?”

Shiro pursed his lips. “He’s probably… out, isn't he?”

Lance shook his head. “All of his stuff is gone. I already checked the mess hall but I couldn't find him. I thought that maybe he moved back in with you.”

“I… I have an idea of where he could be,” Shiro confessed.

Lance perked up at the news. “Really?! Where?”

Shiro’s brow wrinkled, “Well, I’m not even one hundred percent sure that he’d be there.”

“Come on, Shiro! Any clues are better than no clues!”

Shiro shook his head. “Even if I told you, what would you do?” He leaned heavily against the door frame, looking at Lance with a kind of wistful gaze.

“Go after him? I don’t know. I’m mad that he didn’t tell me before he left. I mean, we had a- I mean, we- I-” Lance stopped himself. He couldn’t just outrightly tell the man that he and Keith had cuddled together the night before. But Lance _felt_ for Keith. He didn’t want Keith putting himself somewhere where Lance couldn’t at least try to help him. Maybe that was a little selfish, for Lance to want Keith around if only to help the mullet-head. But Lance still cared for Keith, he felt sorry for the guy.

“I don’t think he’d want you following him, Lance. He must’ve had a good reason for leaving, after all.”

Lance froze, stiff as a board. A good reason for leaving, huh? He felt his heart sink, his chest cold with the thoughts running through his mind. What if HE was the reason Keith had left? Had he gotten too close to him? Was their cuddling session _too_ cuddly? Lance berated himself for getting carried away, for taking advantage of Keith’s emotional weakness.

“I’ll go look for him, Lance,” Shiro continued, unaware of Lance’s inner turmoil. “You don’t need to be worried about him. I’m sure he’s already told you that a million times, though.”

Lance nodded. He didn’t really have a reason to worry about Keith, but that didn’t stop him from worrying anyways.

“Okay. Thanks, Shiro. Sorry for bothering you, I guess.”

Shiro smiled, though it looked taut and forced. “No problem, Lance. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Lance replied automatically, turning on his heel, away from the only person who had any idea where Keith might’ve been.

 

Finding Hunk in the real world was a lot harder than Lance had anticipated. For one thing, he didn’t know the guy’s last name. In a world with so many people- Scratch that. In simply a city with so many people, it was difficult to find just one person, or anyone who knew that one person, to be honest.

Lance checked out the campus of Hunk’s college, but most people were in class and it wasn’t easy to find anyone who could help direct him. Lance realized that he probably should’ve asked for Hunk’s number or something instead of blindly searching for the other. He spent a good hour just roaming the campus in vain.

It was around noon when Lance finally gave up. His plan hadn’t really been all too solid anyways. He decided he’d just grab something to eat before heading back to the dorms. It wouldn’t kill him to wait until Friday to see Hunk.

Except Lance didn’t have to wait until Friday to see Hunk.

“Welcome to Spiced Orchard Subs, what can I get you?” asked a familiar voice.

Lance looked up, surprised. His eyes locked with Hunk’s and a huge grin spread across his face.

“Hunk! HUNK!”

“Lance? Hey, man. What’re you doing in this part of town?” Hunk returned his grin. 

“I was looking for you! What time do you get off? Can we talk?”

Hunk checked his watch. “Um, well, I’m actually off at three, but I can take my break and we can chat real quick?”

Before Lance had a chance to protest that, no, it was fine and he could come back when Hunk was done, Hunk was shimmying around the counter and grabbing Lance’s hand. A taller, older man had taken Hunk’s place at the register.

Hunk pulled Lance towards the back of the building and out the door into an alley. The door shut quietly behind them.

“So, what’s up?” Hunk asked, letting go of Lance’s arm.

“Keith’s gone.”

Hunk blinked, his mouth open but no sound coming out.

“What?” Hunk shook his head in disbelief.

“Shiro says he knows where Keith might be but he’s not telling me. I thought that maybe you would know where he is. But I’m guessing you don’t…?”

“Wait wait wait. What do you mean when you say that Keith’s gone?”

“I mean, he’s not in the dorms anymore and all his stuff is missing.”

“Yeah, I have zero idea where he could be. Unless he’s in the forest? Did you check the forest? If he’s not in the forest, I don’t know where he would go. I don’t know if he’s got any family around these parts. Actually, I don’t know that much about him. We don’t really talk about anything from our regular lives when we’re in the forest together. I didn’t even remember that he’s half incubus either until that night a few months ago. I know that sounds kind of bad, but I think that-” Hunk rambled.

“Hunk! Hunk, hold up,” Lance interjected. “It’s okay if you don’t know where he is. I was just wondering, is all.”

Hunk nodded, his face flushing with embarrassment after his tangent.

“Sorry I’m not much help, Lance.”

Lance shook his head. “No, no. It’s fine. I didn’t think you’d know, but I had to give it a shot, you know?”

Hunk nodded, a smile gracing his face. “I hope you find him soon.”

They stood together for a bit, the silence between them comfortable and comforting.

“How’d you find me anyways?” Hunk asked, bewildered.

Lance laughed. “Luck, I guess.”

Hunk smiled again. His smiles were nice, Lance noted. 

“Well, I’ll check the forest as soon as I can, okay? Let me know if he shows up.” Hunk said.

Lance agreed and they exchanged hugs and phone numbers before heading off in their separate directions. Lance didn't know where Keith was, but he had hope of finding him now. If Shiro wouldn’t tell him where Keith was, he would figure it out himself. Well, with the help of Hunk, at least.


	12. Tears Shed and Questions Unanswered

The box sat menacingly on Lance’s desk. He wanted to open it, but he was scared of what he would find. He really _wasn’t_ in the mood to put his hands all over Keith’s assortment of sex toys.

He took a seat at his desk, peering at the box as he delicately eased one corner of the lid up. To his surprise (and relief), it was not filled with what he was anticipating. Lance moved the lid off, staring down at the contents.

The box held inside of it a single sheet of paper atop a sweatshirt that Lance recognized as his own. He pulled the paper from it's clothy confines and unfolded it. In Keith’s neat handwriting, it read:

_Lance,_

_I tried to stay away from you, I swear. I didn't mean to let my incubus nature get so out of hand. The things I said to you last night are things I wish I’d never said. I’m sorry for forcing you into all of this. If I could go back and change it, I would._

_I let my emotions control me. I thought I could handle being an incubus, but I couldn't. You tried to help me as best as you could and I’m really thankful for that._

_I can’t stay here with you, though. I can’t tell you where I’m going, either. Just know that I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Thank you for helping me these past few weeks. Thank you for being the best roommate ever. Please don't worry about me. Tell Shiro that… well… I’m sorry._

_-Keith_

_Also, I stole this sweatshirt from you a week ago. I washed it already. Sorry for not telling you._

Lance gripped the letter tighter in his fingers, crinkling the edges of the paper. The letter was useless in his search to find Keith. It’d been nearly a week already. Shiro knew where Keith might be, but he wasn't letting on. Hunk had had no luck and even Pidge’s technological genius couldn’t help. Lance was tired of the fruitless searching. He didn’t even know what he would do if he saw Keith again…

Lance pulled the sweatshirt from the box. It was his gray university sweatshirt, the most popular design on campus. Lance couldn’t resist the urge to bring the garment to his face and just… inhale. It smelled clean and fresh, the same way his own laundry smelled. But underneath that smell was the subtle hint of _Keith_ , as if the other had washed it and then worn it one last time before putting it in the box. Lance’s chest hurt at the thought of Keith in his sweatshirt. 

Lance was thoroughly frustrated. Right when he’d been ready to accept Keith into his life, Keith had up and disappeared. Lance was slowly falling in love with someone who was no longer there. It was maddening! The more he thought about Keith, the more emotionally confused he became. His feelings towards Keith had morphed from familial to something… more. And Lance was scared to admit that.

He threw the sweatshirt onto his bed, too lazy to hang it up at the moment. He stood and turned to the door so that he could go tell Shiro what Keith had written in his letter about being sorry.

Lance headed out into the hallway towards Shiro’s room. As he walked, his eyes locked with someone else’s down the hall. Someone he hadn’t expected to see…

Keith.

Keith looked absolutely _wrecked_. His hair was tied at the nape of his neck. Bruises, no, _hickies_ , covered his neck. He wore loose sweatpants, his red and black boots, and a t-shirt, his usual jacket topping off the whole ensemble. Lance could see his dark circles from across the hall. His lips looked swollen, puffed up and dry. He looked horrible and wonderful at the same time and it had Lance’s heart doing cartwheels in his chest.

“Keith,” he called out.

Keith froze as he saw Lance approaching.

Lance stopped a few feet from Keith, stunned and unsure. Was he dreaming? He had to be dreaming…

“You came back?” Lance’s voice came out airy and lighter than he meant for it to sound.

Keith stiffened further. “No. I only came to see Shiro.”

Lance’s face fell, his shoulders drooping. He reached a hand toward Keith’s, but Keith jerked away.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Lance,” he bit out, trying to shove his way past.

Lance grabbed at Keith’s arm lightly. It was a tight enough hold to get Keith’s attention, but gentle enough that Keith could easily break free if he wanted.

Keith didn’t break free of Lance’s hold, though. He stayed put as soon as Lance touched him. Lance could see his posture dropping, like a giant weight had suddenly been taken off his shoulders for some reason. He relaxed into Lance’s touch, turning to face him.

“Keith,” Lance spoke his name again. “What are you doing here? Where did you go?”

“I told you,” Keith mumbled, “I’m just here to see Shiro. Let me go. I’m leaving.”

Lance pulled Keith closer. He wasn't going to let him go. Not without getting some answers first.

“Keith, please. You disappeared without a word to me and now I run into you again? What do you expect me to do? Just let you go, no questions asked? I want to know where you're going and why you left! I thought we had a bonding moment! I cradled you in my arms! And then you just left?” Lance exclaimed, “The least you could do is tell me why!”

Keith wrenched his arm from Lance’s grasp, suddenly furious.

“Why? WHY?! I’ll tell you why, _Lance_. I left because I’m an incubus. I left because I needed more than what I was getting. I left because I was going fucking insane in that room! I was so intoxicated with you, it was tearing me up inside. I’ve liked you for so long, but all I ever was to you was your stupid rival! And then all of this incubus shit had to happen and fuck the whole thing up! I REALLY LIKED YOU, DAMN IT!”

Lance could only stare wide-eyed as Keith raged.

“Do you think I asked to be like this? That I asked to be part incubus? I didn't, okay? I didn't want any of this. And I never wanted to hurt you… I left because if I was in that room with you for one more fucking second, I would have jumped you. I don't want to do that again. I didn’t want to do that the _first_ time. I don't want this. I didn't ask to be born like this. I didn’t ask for your help, either. You just made everything worse.”

Keith was fuming, his hands balled into fists at his sides and his whole body trembling. He clenched his teeth, turning his gaze away from Lance.

Lance could only stare dumbly back at him. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He felt like his chest was caving in on itself. His throat constricted into a tight, wordless knot. His stomach dropped and the tears spilled over. He was shocked, wordless, and stunned.

Keith had liked him. Keith had liked him this whole time, but now he didn’t. Now he hated Lance because Lance kept trying to help him. He didn’t want Lance’s help anymore. It was Lance’s fault for not just giving Keith what his incubus side wanted. He could have had it all, and now he had nothing.

Hot tears rolled down Lance’s face. His nose stung and he took a step away from Keith. He was hurt. Keith hated him. He had made it worse. He was the one to blame for Keith leaving. It was his fault that Keith hated him.

A wail threatened to pour out of him, but Lance brought his hands up to cover his mouth. He felt his heart breaking in his chest. It was too late to make amends with Keith, wasn’t it… Lance wanted to say that he was sorry. Sorry for getting involved and sorry for trying to help. He just wanted Keith back. He hadn’t meant to make it so hard for Keith. He didn’t want this…

“Just… mind your own business,” Keith spat lamely before turning and running from the scene.

Lance stumbled back to his room, locking the door hastily behind him and collapsing onto Keith’s bed. He gripped the pillow to his chest, sobbing wetly into the fluff. It smelled faintly of Keith and that only made Lance cry harder.

He knew that none of this could have really been his fault. He knew Keith didn’t really mean it when he’d said those things, at least not based on the letter he wrote. But with Keith’s hate-filled words at his back, it was hard not to feel responsible for everything that had happened. It was hard not to feel guilty. It was hard not to tell Keith that he felt the same way. It was hard not to tell Keith that he just might love him...


	13. Shiro

Lance sat there, on Keith’s bed, for a long time. He couldn’t make sense of what had happened. Keith’s letter said he was grateful for Lance’s help. But the words that had come out of Keith’s mouth told a different story. Which was Lance to believe? 

He stretched himself out on Keith’s bed, reaching for his sweatshirt on his bed. He grabbed it, pulling it to himself as he curled back up.

Why had Keith borrowed his sweatshirt in the first place? Simply because he needed a sweatshirt? No, that couldn’t be right. Keith had his jacket to keep him warm. He wouldn’t have needed to take Lance's sweatshirt. Was it because he wanted to aggravate Lance? Well, Lance hadn’t even noticed it was missing for two weeks so if that was the plan, it had failed.  
Keith must’ve taken it because it was _Lance’s_. The thought made Lance feel even more empty inside. Had he really screwed everything up with Keith? Why did he even care? Wasn’t Keith supposed to be his worst enemy?

Then again, what person would fall in love with their rival?

Lance needed emotional support. He set his mind on the forest. He needed to go there, needed to talk to someone about the situation.

Shiro wasn’t on campus that day, so Lance couldn’t ask him to take him. Hunk was busy all day, as he told Lance when Lance texted him. But Hunk had pointed him to someone who could take him to the forest that night. Someone that Lance hadn’t considered yet…

 

Allura sat behind the desk, her shining silver hair tied up in a sleek ponytail. She tapped away on the computer, not bothering to look up until Lance was leaning on the counter.

“Hello. Welcome to the- LANCE?!”

“Welcome to the Lance indeed…” Lance chuckled.

Allura shook her head as if to clear her vision and assure herself that she wasn't hallucinating. She wasn't.

“How- how did you know I worked here?” Allura asked, dumbfounded.

“Hey, who says I’m here to see you?” Lance joked.

He glanced at the sign behind Allura. “Maybe I’m here to get… an Egyptian mud facial.”

“Lance, I highly doubt that,” Allura deadpaned.

“Is that a compliment on my skin or an assumption based on my gender?”

“It’s an observation based on your financial status. The Egyptian mud facial costs two hundred dollars. I doubt a college kid has that kind of money to burn.”

“Alright, you caught me. I came to see you,” Lance admitted.

Allura raised an eyebrow. “I certainly hope you're not trying to court me or something of the like.”

“What? No! That's not what I'm here for. Not that you’re not amazing or anything. I just have my heart set on someone else.”

“Keith?”

Lance flushed, his ears going bright red. “Is it that obvious?”

“Not at all! I just assumed it would happen eventually, given the situation.”

Lance groaned, covering his face in embarrassment.

“Allura?” The other woman at the desk addressed her, “Is he a client or not? Because there are other people waiting to be helped.”

Allura nodded, motioning to Lance to wait a minute as she helped the other customers. Most of them were business women in their late thirties…

“So, Lance?” Allura turned her attention back to him, “What is it that you needed?”

“Will you take me to the forest tonight?”

Allura stared at him blankly, as if she wasn't expecting a request of that sort.

“Um, yeah, okay.”

“So, like, meet back here at 3 AM?”

Allura tilted her head, a small smile on her face. “Sure.”

 

Allura’s path to the forest differed from Keith’s and Shiro’s paths to the forest. Keith’s path had been mossy and muddy, the cityscape melding into forest. Shiro’s path had been dark, the forest appearing as a brightness in the shadow.

Allura pulled Lance through her path, the air around them suddenly crisper, light dancing around them like they were underwater. Their surroundings dissolved into a water-like landscape, minus the actual wetness of water. Then they were in the forest, Lance standing on the water’s edge and Allura in the small body of water in full merfolk form.

Lance looked around at the now-familiar forest. The trees lining the edge of the clearing trembled in the wind, their leaves creating soft background noise. Lance spotted Pidge and Hunk conversing near where their trees were planted. He waved at them and they returned his gesture. Lance turned around, searching for the person he’d wanted to talk to. 

Shiro was sitting on the log that they had all sat on the first time Lance came to the forest. Lance meander towards him, noting that he was engaged in a book. The title said that it was something about the history of mythology.

“Shiro?”

Shiro glanced up, surprised to see Lance, apparently.

“Lance? How did you get here?” Shiro closed his book, placing it off to the side as he focused his attention on Lance.

“Oh. Uh, Allura brought me.”

Shiro shot an angry glare in the direction of the pond.

“Can I talk to you, Shiro?”

Shiro refocused on Lance. “Yes, of course.” He scooted over to let Lance sit on the log.

Lance settled himself next to Shiro, unsure how to start the conversation.

“I- I think I’m in love with Keith.”

Shiro blanched. He stared at Lance like Lance had said he secretly had a second head. Actually, Lance saying he had a second head would probably be less surprising to Shiro.

“You what now?”

Lance buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know!”

“This isn't because of the whole incubus situation, is it?”

“ _God_ , no.”

Lance peeked out of his fingers to see Shiro nodding thoughtfully. He straightened his posture, gaze half-focused on Shiro.

“I don’t know,” Lance repeated, “I don’t think I’m quite _in love_ with him so much as I feel like I _could_ love him. You know?”

Shiro laid a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Lance, I understand how you feel. But I’ve known Keith for pretty much forever, even outside of the forest.”

Lance nodded, remembering how Shiro always seemed to favor Keith.

“He’s not exactly the loving type. Never has been. And now with the issue of him being half-incubus, I doubt he even considers romantic love a possibility. If you were to act on your feelings, I doubt anything would come of it.”

Shiro pursed his lips, his brows furrowed as he awaited Lance’s response.

“I just… never thought of Keith as anything more than my roommate. Then everything with the forest happened and I kept feeling, like, protective of Keith? Then we bonded over the craziness of all of this and he was so… I’m not making any sense. Sorry, Shiro. This was stupid.”

Lance moved to stand, but Shiro stopped him.

“Lance. What you feel matters. If you truly think you like Keith, then you should tell him. I’ve only been trying to keep Keith away from you because I didn't think you felt that way about him.”

“Well, no, I didn't feel that way about him. Not at first, anyways.” Lance turned so he could better look at Shiro.

“Well, maybe you should tell him. Maybe you guys need to work it out. He used to have a crush on you, you know.”

Lance groaned at the reminder, “Yeah. I know. I’m such an idiot, Shrio!”

Shiro chuckled at Lance’s expense. 

“Love isn't easy, Lance.”

Lance made to get up, but before he could, a shadow rippled in front of him. Someone was entering the forest.

Out of the shadow emerged none other than Keith, standing in front of him and looking worse than the last time Lance had seen him.

“Lance?!” Keith half yelled, “What- How- Who-...?”

“What is he doing here?!” Keith hissed at Shiro. He gestured wildly at Lance.

Shiro held up his hands defensively. “Hey, it wasn't my fault.”

Keith clicked his tongue. “I’m leaving.”

Lance grabbed at his arm before he could even turn to go. “Wait! Keith. There's something I want to talk to you about.”

“Let go of me,” Keith growled.

Lance released him, scared he would run off. Thankfully, he didn’t.

“It’s in your best interest to at least hear him out, Keith,” Shiro said as he got to his feet.

Keith gave Lance a withering look.

“Shiro, can I…” Lance didn't want to seem rude, but he wanted to talk to Keith alone.

Shiro stood without a word, giving Lance a thumbs up before walking out towards the lake.

“Keith,” Lance said when Shiro was out of earshot. “I just wanted you to know that I… I like you. A lot.”

Keith’s scowl only deepened.

“I’m not just saying this because of what you said before, I swear!” Lance hurried to say.

“Then why? You know what a monster I am. Why do you keep trying to interfere?”

Lance didn’t know how to respond to that. Why was he bothering to come to the forest and see Keith? Why was he bothering to tell Keith any of this anyways?

“I care about you, Keith. More than just a roommate or even as a part of my family. I really like you, and I don't want to see you get hurt.”

Keith fumed. “I’m not going to get hurt. I can take care of myself. I’ve always been able to take care of myself. Why can't you just leave me alone, Lance?”

“Because I care about you!”

“Well, you can stop.”

Keith wasn’t yelling. In fact, his voice was quieter than before, almost hissing at Lance.

Lance, on the other hand, was yelling. “Are you stupid, Keith?! It's not like I can just pretend nothing ever happened. I can’t leave you alone when I know what’s happening. What happened to you letting me care about you? You- YOU dragged me into this. Don't blame me for it! Don't blame me for _caring_ about you.”

Keith seethed, lunging forward and twisting his hand into Lance’s shirt collar, pulling him down so that they were eye-to-eye.

“You don’t know _shit_ about me, Lance. I don't need your pity or your charity. I don't need you to care about me. I don’t need you to pretend that you like me when I KNOW you don't really. I’m an incubus-faun. I’m not some weak _human_ that needs protecting. I don’t need _you_.”

Keith pushed him away, his hands balled into fists and his eyebrows knit. 

Lance was hurt, but also angry. “I know I’m never needed, Keith. Never wanted. Nobody wants me around, do they?! I’M USELESS, AREN’T I? YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME THAT! I ALREADY KNOW, OKAY? I already know…”

Keith’s expression broke just as Lance’s angry tears fell.

“Lance…” Keith stepped forward hesitantly.

“Stop, Keith. It's fine. I- I’ll leave. I’m sorry.”

The silence stretched on as Lance wiped at his tears.

“I still like you,” Keith whispered, so quiet that Lance nearly missed it.

“But I can’t, because I’m an _incubus_.” His voice dripped with disdain at that.

“So what?” Lance asked, his voice hoarse.

“I don’t want to take advantage of you, Lance. I can’t do that. I’m sorry.”

Then Keith was gone again, stepping away from the forest and back to wherever he was hiding.

Lance stumbled out of the trees towards the pond, dropping down to dip his toes into the water. The other members of the forest were immediately on him, light touches and soothing words being whispered. Hunk pulled him into a hug and Pidge flitted around him like a little dragonfly.

“Do you want to go home?” Allura asked gently.

Lance sniffled and nodded. “Yeah.”


	14. Shady Employment

Lance curled up on Keith’s bed, the smell of him long faded from the fabric. He buried his face into the pillow, his heart aching from the night’s events. 

Lance couldn’t blame Keith for what he'd said, though. Keith was only trying to protect him, to shield him from the monster he thought he was. And Lance knew that that was right, that he shouldn’t force himself onto Keith.

But Lance also knew that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So he wasn't going to let some stupid thing like Keith being an incubus-faun, or a fair folk in general, get in his way. Keith wasn’t defined by his species. He was a person with emotions and passions, with a vigor for life and a temper that rivaled all.

Lance liked him… a lot.

With Keith not around, it only made Lance long for him more. He wanted Keith close to him, wanted to cherish him, tell him that it didn't matter WHAT he was. It only mattered _who_ he was.

Lance rolled onto his back, staring up at the blank, white ceiling.

Everything was a mess… Lance just wanted to go back to Cuba.

The familiar ringing of his phone woke him from his thoughts. He reached for it, squinting at the caller ID.

Hunk? Why would he be calling him this early in the morning? He had just gotten back from the forest, the clock reading 5 AM.

He answered hesitantly, unsure of what to expect. He hoped his friend wasn’t in any trouble.

“Lance?” came a voice from the other line. A voice that was definitely NOT Hunk.

“Allura?”

Allura sighed with relief. “Hello, Lance. It’s Allura. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“No, not at all,” Lance replied. “Did you need something? I didn't leave something in the forest, did I?”

“No, you didn't. I was actually calling about Keith.”

Lance’s interest peaked at that. “What about him?”

“I’ve found out where he is. Meet me back at the spa as soon as you can tonight.”

Lance was already on his feet and rushing to the door before she could finish her sentence.

 

Allura’s back was to him as he approached the spa. She turned as she heard him running up.

“Didn’t think I’d be back here so soon,” Lance said lightly. He was exhausted from both the late (early?) hour and the events that had transpired. But he wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see where Keith was.

Allura gave him a tight smile before reaching for his hand. “Come on. I’ll show you what I found.”

Lance took her hand, nodding at her to lead the way.

They passed through Allura’s path to the forest, coming out in a place that Lance had not been expecting.

“What- what is this place? This isn't the forest!” Lance looked at his unfamiliar surroundings with unease.

“It’s not _our_ forest, but it is a forest. Much as it leads you to believe it's not.”

Lance glanced around at the large buildings, each towering above the trees planted sparsely between them. The windows were lit with ominous red light. There was no pavement, though, and the buildings looked very out of place with the scenery around them.

“So what is this place? How can we be in some other forest?” Lance turned his attention away from the buildings and back to Allura.

“Fair folk have a forest that they belong to, made just for them. That's the forest that we usually go to. But that doesn't stop us from visiting other forests.” Allura explained.

“Wait, so, this place is someone's forest?!”

Allura nodded sullenly.

“What kind of crazy person would ruin their forest like this?”

Allura’s shoulders slumped as she answered. “A demon named Zarkon.”

Allura began walking and Lance trailed after her. This forest was so much larger than the one he’d gone to for the past few months. There were other fair folk walking around too, their various fair-folk attributes on display.

“Wait a second. You said you found the place where Keith was at. Please don't tell me that you meant here,” Lance groaned.

Allura grimaced, walking a little faster, a little stiffer.

“He is here. I saw him. I just haven't talked to him yet. But I know where he is.”

Lance caught her arm, pulling her so that they were standing in the space between two of the buildings.

“Allura, please! I’ve got so many questions. How did you know he was here? What is he even doing here? What… what even _is_ this place?”

Allura pulled away from him, worrying her lip between her teeth.

“This forest… um… it-”

Allura tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, fidgeting uncomfortably.

“I lived here for a while. Before I was able to come back to the human world. I just came back to visit...”

Lance cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate on the situation.

“I lived here right after I died and came back as a fair folk. It’s like a home to me. After all, I couldn't exactly just pop back into my old life after what happened to me.”

“What happened?” Lance couldn’t help but inquire.

“I- I was sick. Terminally ill. I was on the verge of dying when Shiro brought me to the forest. But I can’t go back and see my family. They think I’m… dead. So I lived here. Now this is the only home I really have.”

Lance blinked at her, stunned.

“Allura… I’m so sorry.”

Lance leaned in and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. They stood that way for a bit as Allura collected herself.

“Okay. I’m okay.” Allura pulled away and wiped at her eyes.

“Come on. I’ll show you where I saw Keith,” she said, turning on her heel and making a clear beeline to a building on the edge of the clearing.

Lance followed her to the building, pausing at the door. He stared up at the huge building, it's windows glowing red like all the others. As he was looking up, someone came out of the building.

It was a nymph, her clothes tattered and her hair a rat’s nest. Her lips were swollen and she walked with a limp.

“What the… Allura, what is this place?!”

“This is why I was hesitant to tell you that I used to live here.”

That only spurred on Lance’s curiosity. “Wait, what? What is it?!”

“Lance, I want you to keep in mind that Keith is… not in a good place. Mentally _and_ physically.”

“Well, yeah. He just got his incubus side awakened. Of course he’s a little messed up about it all.”

“Okay. Just keep that in mind when I tell you what this place is.”

Lance nodded, eager to get some answers.

“It’s a sex club, Lance. A prostitution club. Keith’s in there. I know it.”


	15. Emotional Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the angst. Or is it?

Allura had brought Lance back home, the knowledge of Keith’s whereabouts burned into his brain. He couldn’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard he tried.

What was Keith doing? Was he okay?

Lance didn't like the idea of Keith being a sex worker. Not that there was anything wrong with sex work. But Keith was only doing this to spare Lance’s feelings. Instead of forcing himself on Lance, he gave his body to strangers.

Lance used to feel guilty when he thought about Keith’s predicament. Now he just felt defensive. Nobody should be touching Keith. Lance was the one who liked him. Liked him for his stubborn, insufferable, and endearing personality. Those people he let touch him? They only liked him for his body…

Lance spent the next week agonizing over what he could do, what he could possibly say to Keith if he ever saw him again. He didn’t want a repeat of the past two conversations that they’d had. He didn’t want to fight with Keith, didn’t want to talk with anger in his voice.

But Keith was clearly not coming back. He hadn’t shown up on campus in a week. More than a week, actually. Shiro hadn’t seen him since the incident in the forest either. It was crazy to think that so much had occurred in one night. The fight with Keith in the forest and then Allura figuring out where he was living… If college wasn't stressful enough, this was.

Lance decided that if Keith wasn’t going to come to him, he was going to go to Keith. _How_ he was going to get to Keith was the real question.

Shiro definitely wouldn't take him. Coran wouldn’t either. And Allura was so hesitant to take him back to a place chock full of painful memories. But Hunk… Hunk would take him.

Not without a little begging, though.

 

“Hunk, please! Please, bro! I gotta go see Keith. Hunk, I’m begging you!” Lance knelt in front of Hunk, his hands clasped in front of him.

Hunk looked at Lance apprehensively.

“I don’t know, Lance. If Keith wanted to talk to you, wouldn't he have come and talked to you?”

“But that's the thing, Hunk. Keith doesn't want to talk to me. But I need to talk to him!”

Hunk rubbed at his face, avoiding Lance’s gaze.

“I don’t feel right about it, Lance.”

Lance shuffled forwards on his knees, giving Hunk his biggest puppy eyes.

Hunk caved. “Alright, fine. But I’m not sticking around in a place like that.”

“That’s fine! Thank you so much Hunk!” Lance wrapped his arms around the other’s knees in a hug.

 

And that’s how Lance found himself alone in Zarkon’s forest.

Lance stared up at the formidable building that Allura had taken him to before. The windows still glowed their eerie red light, the vibe they gave off wasn’t welcoming at all.

Lance reached for the door handle, pulling it open and immediately being blasted in the face with cold air. The smell inside was like a hospital. Sanitized, stale, and evoked images of both babies and old people. 

Lance found himself in a waiting-room-like area. The walls were painted a deep gray and a receptionist of sorts sat behind the desk positioned near the far back wall. She glanced up as Lance approached.

Her eyes shone brightly as she caught sight of Lance.

“Hello, human. What can I do for you today?” she asked, her voice forcedly sweet.

“Um, is Keith here?” Lance fidgeted under her piercing gaze.

“That depends. Do you have an appointment with him?” She flashed a row of razor sharp teeth at him, her eyes still cold.

“Appointment?”

The girl sighed. “If you don't have an appointment, you can't see him. We _are_ trying to run a business here after all.” 

“I, uh… I don’t have an appointment.”

The girl frowned at him, letting him stand awkwardly for a good minute.

“You could always _make_ an appointment,” she finally said.

“Yes, please.”

“Who are you here to see again?” she asked, feigning innocence. She knew damn well who Lance was there to see.

“Keith. I’m here to see Keith.” Lance couldn’t hide the annoyance in his voice.

The woman gave him another ingenuous smile before turning to tap away on her keyboard.

“Looks like Keith is available right now. You have one and a half hours. Please head up to the third floor. He is in room eight.” She gestured towards the elevator before proceeding to ignore him completely.

“Thank you,” Lance replied, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his words. One and a half hours of time? Lance didn't know if Keith would even see him, let alone talk to him for one and a half hours.

 _I can try, at least._ He made his way to the elevator and was again astonished at the pristine cleanliness of the place.

The doors of the elevator reopened on the third floor and Lance began his search for room eight, finding it easily. It was near the end of the hall and the door was slightly ajar. Lance knocked on the door frame, hesitant to just push the door open.

“Come in,” a voice called from inside. Keith’s voice.

Lance pushed the door open, his eyes immediately assaulted with the deep red lighting he’d seen from the outside of the building. He squinted at the sudden change in color around him. The entire room smelled so distinctly of Keith, too, and it sent Lance wheeling.

It wasn’t a large room by any means, only the size of an average bedroom. In the far right corner of the room was a four-poster bed, the sheets crisp with no blankets, but an excessive amount of pillows instead. A huge floor to ceiling window spanned the length of the wall not occupied by the bed. A dining room type table sat in the middle of the room, the wood a deep brown. Another door was nestled into the corner to Lance's left. It hung half-open and Lance could see movement in the room, which he presumed to be a bathroom.

“Keith?”

“Out in a second!” Keith replied. “Make yourself comfortable!”

Lance ambled over to the bed, sitting gingerly on the edge of it. He didn’t particularly want to think about what had happened on this bed.

A few moments later, Keith was strolling out of the bathroom. He looked freshly showered, his hair still wet, nearly obscuring his horns. A fluffy white robe was wrapped around him. He came to a screeching halt as he locked eyes with Lance.

“Oh, no. Oh HELL no. What the fuck are you doing here, Lance?”

Lance grinned sheepishly. “I came to see you…?”

Keith stormed over, looming over Lance, his hands planted firmly on his hips.

“Nope. No. Get out.”

Lance couldn’t help the pout he gave Keith.

“Come on, man. At least hear me out.”

“I’ve heard enough from you, Lance. I don't know why you're here or what you want, but I don't really care. Get out of my room. I have actual customers to meet, okay?” Keith’s tone turned snappy, anger bleeding through his words.

Lance hung his head, trying to will himself not to cry over something so small as Keith yelling at him.

“Lance. Get. Out. Now. I don't want another one of your stupid explanations about how you want to help me or some shit. I was happy here. Until you showed up, that is. I don't know how you found me, but I don't want you coming back. I’ve said it enough times, Lance. I don't need your help. I don’t want you here.”

Lance balled his hands in his lap. He’d been worried about Keith for so long, spent hours tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep because he couldn’t stop thinking about Keith. He’d been taken to the forest at ungodly hours of the night just so he could talk to someone about how worried he was for Keith. He’d had to beg and beg Hunk to bring him here. And now Keith was telling him that he didn’t want him here. Didn’t want him _ever_. Keith was telling him to leave. Forever.

“Earth to Lance?” Keith asked, annoyed.

“Why do you hate me so much?” 

The words slipped from Lance’s lips before he could even register them.

“What?”

Lance stood hastily, pushing past Keith as he tried to get to the door. He was so embarrassed. How could he just blurt out something so juvenile?!

“Lance, wait!” Keith grabbed onto the back of Lance’s shirt, stilling him in his attempt to escape.

“What? You gonna tell me how much you don't want me around again? I know you don't want anything to do with me, Keith. I just thought you'd listen to me for once.”

Keith released his hold on Lance, but Lance made no move to leave. He just stood there, his hands trembling against his sides and avoiding Keith’s stare.

“I don’t hate you, Lance.”

Lance scoffed, turning to Keith, ready to whip out ALL of the receipts.

Instead, he was greeted with the sight of Keith with wide eyes, mouth screwed into a tight line, and tears flowing down his cheeks.

“I don’t hate you,” he repeated softly.

“Then why? Why do you keep pushing me away?”

Keith pulled his robe tighter around himself, wiping at his face.

“I’m scared, okay?”

“Of _what_?”

Keith closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

“I’m- I’m scared that I’ll regret it.”

Lance didn't know how to respond to that, so he kept quiet instead.

“I’m scared that after you find out who I really am, you’ll leave me. That's why I lied to you before, when I said I didn't feel this way about you before the whole incubus incident. I’ve liked you for a long time, Lance. I’m scared. But I don't hate you.” Keith brought a hand up to his face, trying to shield his flushed cheeks from Lance’s view.

Lance reached for Keith’s hand, bringing it away from his face.

“Keith. I’m not going to leave you. I don't care what you are. Incubus, faun, or human doesn't matter. I like _you_. I think I have for a while.” Lance said gently.

“You- you w-what?” Keith spluttered, his body going rigid in Lance’s hold.

“I didn’t realize it before, but I think I’ve liked you for a long time. When you left, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I missed you so much. I’ve always said that you’re my rival, but I guess I just wanted your attention.”

Keith flushed harder, his face almost as red as the lighting around them.

“Well, you have it now.”

Lance couldn’t have hidden his smile if his life had depended on it.

“I never wanted to hurt you, Lance,” Keith went on. “That’s why I kept pushing you away. That’s why I had to leave. I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me after everything that happened… But I guess I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

Lance felt himself leaning closer, pulled in by the ridiculously dreamy look on Keith’s face.

“You were so wrong, Mullet,” Lance answered. “Everything happens for a reason. Even the crazy things that’ve happened in the past few months. That’s what Hunk told me. And I think that the reason all these crazy things happened to us was because we were meant to be together, Keith. I really like you and I don't want to lose you again. I want to help you, Keith. Not because I pity you. Not because I feel guilty. I want to help you because, well, I think I’m in love with you.”

At that, Keith reached up and pressed his lips to Lance’s, and Lance could feel the other boy’s growing smile.


	16. A Cup of Keith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is NSFW content in this chapter. If you wish to skip it, it will not effect the story.

Lance pressed further into the kiss, trying to get more more more of Keith.

They pulled apart with a breath and Keith’s grin practically split his face in half.

“I think I’m in love with you too, you pea-brain.”

Lance let out a huff of indignation, pouting at Keith. 

“You think? Boy, I am the greatest good you are ever gonna get. You _know_ you love me.”

Keith’s grin quickly turned to annoyed laughter and he shoved at Lance playfully.

Lance yanked at Keith’s robe, pulling him close again and resting their foreheads together. He closed his eyes against the gently presence of Keith.

“I’m sorry it took so long for me to realize my feelings for you,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry I didn't tell you how I really felt. And I’m sorry for pushing you away,” Keith replied.

Lance gave a puff of laughter. “I guess we're both pea-brains.”

“Yeah…”

Lance opened his eyes and found Keith watching him, his eyes half-lidded and pupils blown wide. His cheeks were now a brighter shade of red than the lighting in the room. His breaths were quick and shallow.

“Keith?” Lance asked, “You okay there, buddy?”

Keith’s hands found their way to the opening of Lance’s jacket. He ran his fingers up and down the inside of the zipper, toying with it absentmindedly. There was a long pause before Keith answered.

“Sorry. I’ve just been suppressing my incubus side for so long and trying to forget about you. Now you’re here in _my room_ and you told me you liked me and we kissed and-” Keith interrupted _himself_ with a whimpering moan.

Lance pulled back from resting his forehead against Keith’s. Keith’s hands stayed tight on his jacket, though, so there wasn’t really anywhere for him to go.

“Keith…?”

Keith released Lance with a gasp, backing up until his knees hit the bed and he flopped down dramatically.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This was a bad idea. You have to leave, Lance.”

“What?! I thought we'd come to an understanding. I thought we’d finally gotten somewhere!” Lance’s chest hurt at the thought of having to leave now, after he knew how Keith really felt.

“We did!” Keith was quick to assure. “I just… I can’t control myself around you. I’m not safe to be near.”

Lance found himself moving until he was staring down at Keith, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed.

“What’re you talking about?” Lance asked.

Keith had to will himself not to whine at how close Lance's crotch was to his face. He took in a deep breath, averting his eyes.

“I’m going to do something that I’ll regret,” he said, his words still ominously vague.

Lance knelt so that he was level with Keith, trying to catch the other’s gaze. He reached for Keith’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Keith, you dragged me into a crazy forest full of fair folk. You jumped me, then cuddled with me, and then left me. You yelled at me and made me cry. If you wanted to be filled with regret, you had your chance. But I’m here now, telling you that none of that matters anymore. I like you and I want to help you.”

Keith squeezed Lance’s hands, finally looking at him eye-to-eye. Keith felt a wash of different emotions. He wanted to push Lance away again, keep him safe, keep him unaware. But Lance’s words struck a chord in his heart. He wanted to be with Lance, had wanted it even before the incubus in him had chosen Lance. But most of all, he was scared. 

“I don’t want you to leave me,” Keith admitted.

“I wasn't planning on it. If anything, you’re the one who keeps telling me to leave!”

Keith buried his face in his hands out of sheer frustration. “I don’t know! I want you here, but I don't want you here… But I _do_?”

Lance pulled Keith’s hands off of his own face and silenced him with another kiss.

“I came here with the intention of helping you, Keith. Let me help you. Tell me how to help you.”

Keith flushed again, squirming under Lance’s attention.

“I- um… Kiss me again?” Keith closed his eyes to avoid Lance’s face, scared that Lance would laugh at him for such a request. Instead, there was only Lance’s lips on his, Lance’s hands cupping the back of Keith’s head and pulling him ever closer.

Keith practically melted into Lance’s touch, the incubus in him singing out in joy. It felt so right to finally be with Lance like this, their mouths slotting together perfectly. It felt so right to have Lance tugging at the longer ends of his hair, to have Lance’s body pressing into him, over him, pushing him backwards onto the bed. It felt like home when Lance pulled back from the kiss to stare down into Keith’s eyes, both of them panting slightly.

“Lance…”

Lance smiled down at him and Keith felt like his heart was going to explode with happiness.  
“Tell me how to help you,” Lance repeated.

“I want you, Lance.” Keith could hear the whine in his voice, unable to fight the instincts that told him to beg until he was sated. He needed so much from Lance, needed to feel full and warm and fuzzy inside. Needed to be with Lance in every way he could.

“Yeah?” Lance was so full of himself. Normally it annoyed Keith, but right then in his incubus-addled brain, it was so incredibly _hot_.

Keith nodded vigorously, arching his back up to try and bring his body closer to Lance's.

Lance could have laughed at Keith. He could have made fun of the begging and the whining, could have teased Keith about the way he arched up to try and touch Lance, needy little moans escaping his lips. Lance could have made fun of Keith… If he wasn't so turned on, that is.

Lance blamed it on the incubus genes. There was no way he was this hard just from a little making out. Keith definitely shouldn't have been that turned on just from a little making out, either. Especially given the fact that he was constantly getting it on with people. Something about them being together must have triggered a biological need in them. Some sort of weird incubus-mate connection.

Keith, ever the impatient one, decided that Lance was being too slow. He grabbed Lance’s shoulders, flipping them over so that he was on top. Lance gave a startled little yelp, but otherwise gave no protest at the new position.

Keith rolled his hips down against Lance’s crotch, little breathless gasps leaving his lips with every movement. All Lance could do was hold on for dear life as Keith moved atop him.

“Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance…” Keith hissed out the other’s name with each jerk of his hips.

Lance could feel his dick straining against the fabric of his jeans. Keith didn’t look like he was any more comfortable.

Lance grabbed at Keith’s waist, stilling him in his movements.

“Why’d you stop…?” Keith groaned. He was definitely under the full influence of his incubus side now.

“Hold on, Keith. _Carajo_ , you’ve gotta learn some patience.”

Keith leaned down so that his mouth was pressed to the shell of Lance’s ear. “I don’t want to learn patience. I want your hot cock inside me. I want you to pound me into tomorrow, fuck me so hard that I won't be able to walk for days. I want your cum painting my insides, want your hands wrapped around my neck while you use my body to get off. I want you to-”

Lance slapped a hand over Keith’s mouth.

“ _Fuck_ , Keith, calm down. I’m not fucking you.”

Keith’s face fell.

“Not until I take you on a date, at least.”

Keith gave Lance the most devilish grin in the history of devilish grins. He gave another little roll of his hips before Lance could stop him.

“Hold on, Keith!” Lance groaned, exasperated.

He pushed Keith back a bit and then worked to unbutton his pants, pushing them down as best he could with Keith still seated on his legs.

Keith seemed to get the memo as he shed his robe easily. Lance nearly had an aneurysm when he realized that Keith had been stark naked under the robe the entire time.

Keith slid off of Lance and helped him get his pants off, tugging his cock up through the slit in his boxers.

Lance could’ve died right then and there, and he’d have died a happy man. The sight of a naked Keith kneeling over him with his hands wrapped around Lance’s dick was just _too much_.

“Come here,” Lance beckoned.

Keith obeyed immediately, crawling over Lance so that he could kiss the other again. He groaned into the kiss as his member rubbed along Lance’s.

Lance dug his hands into Keith’s hair, his hands making contact with the base of Keith’s horns. He wrapped his hands around them, using his grip on Keith to pull him down harshly.

Keith cried out as Lance manhandled him by his horns, his body falling limp atop Lance’s. Lance pulled him into another kiss and Keith was pulled between all of the different sensations. Lance’s hands around his horns was something different. Nobody had even touched his horns before, as they were usually too focused on… other… parts of his body. Lance’s mouth was hot and wet, the kiss uncoordinated and messy. His dick rubbing against Lance’s was great, but not enough for him. He needed more of Lance, couldn’t possibly get enough.

“L- Lance,” Keith panted out, “Please!”

“What do you need?” Lance asked, his voice equally as breathy. He released his hold on Keith’s horns in favor of moving them to Keith’s waist.

“Touch me, please.”

“I am touching you.”

Keith squirmed, moving to sit semi-upright, his hands braced on Lance’s torso. His cock leaked against his own stomach, flushed redder than his face.

Keith reached a hand out, making grabby motions, unable to form words in his muddled brain. Lance got the message, though, and he moved his right hand into Keith’s.

Keith guided Lance’s hand down to wrap around both of their members, Lance’s hand on one side and Keith’s on the other. He bucked into their joined hold, unable to stop the moans that escaped his mouth.

Lance could feel Keith’s movements against him, the older boy’s length rubbing against his. The pressure in his gut was building steadily and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer.

It didn't matter, though, because Keith was already coming. He threw back his head, back arching, hand tight on Lance’s hip. Cum spurted across his torso in thin stripes, the fluid clear from the sheer amount of times Keith had come in the past few months, what with his various activities.

Keith came down from his high with a heavy breath, his lungs heaving. He eased his hand off of their dicks and pulled away from Lance a bit, sliding further down the bed until he was laying across Lance’s legs, his face at Lance’s crotch.

Keith took Lance in his hands, pumping slowly. He dipped his thumb into Lance’s slit and Lance bucked up into his touch. Keith stuck out his tongue, giving Lance’s tip the tiniest of licks before retracting his tongue and giving a kiss to the head of Lance’s dick.

That small kiss pushed Lance over the edge and he came across Keith’s face. He began to apologize to Keith, but there was really no need. Keith was grinning happily and he brought a finger to his face, scraping some of Lance’s cum into his mouth.

Lance let out a choked moan. If he hadn’t just orgasmed, then the sight of that alone would have made him.

“Keith, what the fuck are you doing?” he managed to ask, pushing himself up onto his elbows and tucking himself back into his boxers. Keith kept repeating his actions, slowly cleaning the fluids off of his face and hands.

“I’m absorbing the life energy you just gave me,” Keith explained. He swallowed thickly around the fingers he’d shoved into his mouth.

Lance could only watch with a mixed sense of arousal, fascination, and the tiniest bit of disgust, because, well, that was his cum that Keith was slurping down.

Keith finished his weird actions and then crawled his way back up Lance’s body. He nestled himself atop Lance, his face nuzzled into Lance’s neck.

“I haven't felt this well rested in months. Years, even. Thank you, Lance.” Keith closed his eyes, nuzzling ever closer to Lance.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”


	17. It's Keith’s Choice

It turned out that Shiro was right about how incubus hybrids derived their energy. Keith was more alert and energized than Lance had ever seen him before.

“I feel like I could stay awake for _months_ ,” Keith whispered reverently as he pulled on his pants.

“I feel like I could sleep for months,” Lance answered, his voice monotone with exhaustion.

He waited for Keith to redress himself. They were going to head back to the dorms together, with Keith most likely moving back in with Lance. They’d have to get Shiro’s approval first, but Lance doubted that they’d have trouble with that.

Keith pulled on his second glove, turning to Lance with a smile.

“Okay, I’m done. Let's go.”

Lance pulled himself up from the bed, brushing a hand through his tousled hair.

“You’re scarily happy,” Lance observed.

“Probably just an incubus reaction to finally being able to be with my mate. Don't make a big deal of it.” Keith crossed his arms, a scowl taking over his features.

“Alright. Whatever you say, Mr. Grumpy Pants.” Lance couldn’t help but laugh at the exaggerated expression on Keith’s face. “Come on. Let's go home.”

 

Shiro was hesitant to let Keith move back in with Lance at first. At least, until he learned of the chat that Keith and Lance had had. After that, he was more than happy to let Keith back into the dorms.

Keith moved back in without a hitch, though he didn’t have any belongings left, having rid of them all when he went to live in Zarkon’s forest. He was constantly stealing Lance's clothes and extra toiletries, not that Lance minded.

It was already well into June when the semester ended. Lance felt like a zombie after his finals were over, his body weary from nights spent studying. Keith, ever the romantic, offered to make him coffee as often as he needed. The coffee always ended up _burnt_ somehow, though.

The temperature was starting to border on uncomfortably warm, but the nights were still fairly cool. It was the perfect temperature for night adventures. Lance and Keith headed to the forest that weekend, the news of their budding relationship on the tips of their tongues.

The others in the forest didn’t take as well to the news of Keith and Lance’s courtship as Shiro had. Their reactions could only be described as lukewarm.

Pidge pursed her lips after Lance’s announcement. She shot a knowing look at Hunk, who merely shrugged.

“Lance? Keith?” she asked hesitantly. “Can I talk to you guys for a second?”

Lance beamed at her, gripping Keith’s hand tighter in his own. “Sure, Pidgeon.”

Lance followed Pidge towards the edge of the forest, dragging Keith along with him.

“Okay, so, here’s the deal,” Pidge began. “I’ve done some research and I’ve got some not so good news.”

“Of course…” Keith groaned.

Pidge shook her head. “It’s not super horrible. At least, I don’t think it’s super horrible.”

“So… what’s the news?” Lance prodded, his patience wearing thinner as the seconds passed.

Pidge wrung her hands together. “Well, it’s got to do with Keith’s half-incubus nature.”

“Of course it does,” Keith grumbled.

Pidge waved away his complaints, instead jumping straight into her tangent. “So, it turns out that once you-” She pointed to Lance. “-and him-” She moved her attention to Keith. “-consummate your relationship, bad things will happen.”

“Okay, first of all, please don’t ever use the word consummate to refer to Keith and I ever again. That’s weird. Don’t say that. And secondly… what?” Lance couldn’t have looked more confused if he tried.

Pidge sighed. “Once you and Keith do the lovemaking thing, he’ll be permanently bonded to you until your death.”

“Lovemaking is no better a word than consummate is. What do you mean by ‘bonded’?”

“I mean- Well- There’s no pleasant way to say this so I’m just gonna get on with it. Once y’all fuck, Keith is going to be permanently dependent on you in order for him to survive. So if you suddenly decide that you don’t love him anymore or something and you _leave_ him, he’ll die.”

Lance looked like he’d just been electrocuted. His eye twitched slightly, his mouth agape in shock, and his hand trembling in Keith’s.

“Lance isn’t going to leave me,” Keith assured Pidge.

Pidge turned to him, annoyance written across her face. “How do you know that? You’ve witnessed how flirty Lance can be! What if he somehow manages to charm someone and they run off into the sunset together, leaving you all by your lonesome?! Lance is bi as _fuck_ , which just means TWICE the opportunities for him to fall in love with someone else!”

“LANGUAGE, KATIE!” Shiro yelled from a few yards away.

“That’s not what bisexual means!” Lance exploded. “I’m not just going to ditch Keith for a pretty lady or gentleman. I’m not like that!”

Pidge crossed her arms in defiance, a scowl overtaking her features. “How do you know you won’t be like that in the future? What if you meet the love of your life someday?”

“Well maybe _Keith_ is the love of my life!”

Keith froze at that. It was one thing for Lance and him to get it on in the bedroom and throw out love confessions in the heat of things. But for Lance to openly admit his feelings here, in front of Pidge? And not just any old love confession, either. Lance was basically saying that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Keith. He’d heard what Pidge had said, had acknowledged it, accepted it, and told Pidge straight up that he loved Keith and wouldn’t leave him. Keith was going to straight up die; this was just too much, too fast.

“Whatever, Lance. I’m just trying to look out for Keith.” Pidge mumbled. 

“Then maybe we should let him make the decisions.”

They both turned their attentions to Keith, who was still standing paralyzed. He looked first at Lance, then at Pidge. 

“I- I guess that-”

“Yeah?” Pidge prompted.

“I don’t know…”

Lance and Pidge both pulled away from him, no longer shoving their faces into his personal bubble.

“What do you mean you ‘don’t know’?” Lance asked. “It should be clear, shouldn’t it?”

“I-” Keith was at a loss for words. He didn’t want to hurt Lance’s feelings. He loved Lance, or at least, he could see himself being in love with Lance, but this was such a huge decision. It wasn’t something he had considered before. And the addition of Pidge wasn’t helping, her anticipation of his answer only adding to his anxiety.

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Keith asked, successfully avoiding answering their question. He silently congratulated himself on his quick thinking.

Pidge blinked at him, not expecting his question. “Well, I mean, there aren’t very many incubus or succubus hybrids out there who have an active incubus or succubus half! Even then, there isn’t much information out there. The last time someone awakened their other half, it was that mergirl who ended up drowning in her sleep! I didn’t even think to look up anything about hybrids until a few days ago.”

“Why does it matter?” Lance sounded annoyed. “We’re together now. Even if she had told us a few months ago, it wouldn't have made a difference, right? You’d still be with me.”

Keith couldn’t hide the uncertainty he felt. He hadn’t been prepared for this, wasn’t sure what to tell Lance. 

“I, uh… I’m going home,” Keith stated bluntly before turning quickly on his heel and power walking away.

“WHAT?! KEITH, WAIT!” he heard Pidge yelling behind him. He didn’t stop. 

“Shiro, please take Lance back to the dorms when you leave. I need to go.”

Shiro looked surprised at Keith’s request, but he didn't have time to question it. Keith was already leaving the forest...

 

“What happened back there?” Lance wasn’t yelling, but his voice held so much anger in it that he may as well have been. He threw his jacket to the floor as he entered the room having just come from the forest. “Why did you leave me in the forest? What’s going on, Keith?!”

Keith paused in his actions, looking up to see Lance staring down at him. Lance had his arms crossed, his eyes scanning over Keith’s bed. 

“What are you doing?” Lance’s arms dropped to his side, his expression quickly turning from anger to confusion.

Keith’s hands stilled over the bag he was packing. It wasn’t much, but he had packed everything he owned.

“I’m leaving, Lance.”

Lance broke at that, his voice going soft. “What? Keith… I don’t understand.”

Keith stood from where he was crouched over his bed. “I have to go. I can’t stay here with you anymore.”

Lance stepped forward, his hands instinctively coming to rest on Keith’s waist. “Why not? Is it because of what Pidge said?”

Keith couldn’t look at Lance’s face, scared to see his reaction. “Yeah. I just, um, well… What Pidge said really scared me and I-”

“Come on, Keith. You know I would never leave you. I’m not that kind of person!”

Keith pursed his lips. “I know. It's just that…”

Lance’s eyes widened as he caught onto what Keith was saying. “You don’t trust me.”

It wasn't a question.

“I do trust you!” Keith insisted.

Lance stepped back, his hands leaving Keith’s waist. “No, you don’t. If you trusted me, you wouldn't be trying to leave. I love you, Keith. Just stay with me. Please.”

Keith felt like a trapped animal. He wanted to stay with Lance, wanted so badly to just let himself fall in love. But Pidge’s words were stuck on replay in his head. The possibility of Lance leaving him was there and it wasn’t something he could just ignore. Especially when his life was dependant on Lance staying with him.

Keith hung his head, unable to look at Lance, who had just started crying. “I can’t, Lance. I can’t do that to you. I can’t force you to stay with me forever.”

“You wouldn't be forcing me to do anything! I want to be with you!” He was yelling now, tears streaming down his face. “Please, Keith.”

Keith shook his head. His heart physically hurt. He wasn't trying to push Lance away. That wasn’t his intention at all. “What if you change your mind one day?”

Lance wiped at his eyes, the tears not ceasing. “I won't! What will it take for you to believe me…?”

“I need time, Lance. We’ve been together for less than a week. I’m not going to rush into this.”

“Not going to rush into this?! Do you even remember what has happened the past few months? What are you planning to do when you leave?! I’m your ‘choosen person’ or whatever, aren’t I? We don't really have a choice over my being with you.” 

Keith didn’t understand why Lance was trying to hard to get him to stay. “I don’t have a choice over being with you. You have a choice, though. I want to give you the chance to make that choice. I don't want you to be with me just because you feel obligated to.”

Lance clenched his jaw tightly, white-hot anger rolling over him. Keith didn’t understand! “I want you, Keith! If I have a choice, why aren't you letting me make that choice?!”

“I need _time_ , Lance.”

“Time to what?!”

“Lance. Just give me time to think about… everything.”

Lance took a deep breath, calming himself. This was Keith’s choice to make. Lance couldn’t force him to stay…

“Okay. Okay…” Lance didn't want to lose Keith again, but it looked like he didn’t have a say in the matter. “Just… come back to me. Please.”

Keith reached up and gave Lance a gentle kiss on the cheek. “I promise.”

Then he was gone again, leaving Lance alone in the room. Lance felt his anger crumbling away, making room for the worry in his heart.

_Oh, god. What if I never see him again?_


	18. Home

With the semester over, Lance was forced to move out. It wasn’t like he could just live in the dorms forever, now could he?

He was headed back home to Cuba, but there was just one problem. Keith was still missing and Lance had no way of contacting him.

Shiro was shocked to know that Keith had left, apparently unaware of the fact until Lance told him. It wasn’t too much of a surprise, though. Not with the way Keith always seemed to run away nowadays.

“Will you tell him that I went back to Cuba?” Lance asked Shiro. He handed his flight itinerary to the other man. “Give him this if you see him, please.”

Shiro nodded, taking the paper from Lance. “Is that all?”

Lance shifted slightly, unsure if he should voice his thoughts.

“Um… well… I’m worried about Keith.” Lance mumbled.

Shiro leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “I’m sure he’s fine, Lance. He can take care of himself.”

“It’s not just that,” Lance admitted. “Am I doing something wrong, Shiro? I’ve been trying to help him this whole time, but maybe he doesn't want my help. What if I'm just getting in his way?”

Shiro sighed. “I’m sure you're not getting in his way. Keith is just really… difficult to understand. Just give him time. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“I hope so.”

 

Lance left for Cuba that weekend, his bags checked and his ticket in hand. It was an uneventful flight, as usual. Lance slept through most of the travel. He was excited to be home, excited to get away from the hustle and bustle of college, and away from the stress of Keith’s situation.

His sister came to pick him up from the airport, the car ride home quiet. There wasn’t much for Lance to say to her, was there?

“So, how’s school?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“It’s okay, I guess.”

“You got a girlfriend yet?”

Lance laughed at her question. “Of course not.”

“A boyfriend, then.”

Lance didn't answer, the smile slipping off his face.

“I’m right, aren’t I? So what’s his name?” she pried.

Lance turned his attention to the scene outside his window. “It’s not like that, Sophie.”

But Sophie wasn’t the type to take Lance's half-assed answers. “Come on, Lance. Don't be like that. You can tell your big sister anything. It's not like I’m going to tell Mamá.”

Lance shook his head, turning back to watch her as she drove. “It’s not a big deal.”

Sophie snorted. “With you, Lance, everything love-related is a big deal.”

He couldn’t deny that. Sophie knew him too well. He couldn’t get anything past her.

“I like this guy, but it’s… complicated. He likes me back, I think? I don’t even know anymore.”

They stopped at a red light and Sophie took the opportunity to ruffle Lance’s hair with a hand. It was a well-meaning gesture, though Lance didn’t appreciate his lovely hairdo getting ruined.

“Just give it time, Lance. You're still young. You have plenty of time to sort things out.” Sophie reassured him.

“Okay,” Lance replied half-heartedly. He didn’t know how much trust he put into her advice, but it was nice nonetheless.

They pulled into the driveway of their home. It was small, familiar, and Lance realized just how much he’d missed it. He spotted his mom running down the driveway towards the car.

“Hola, Mamá,” Lance greeted his mom as he climbed out of the car.

“Hola, hijo!” she cried as she ran towards him, hugging him tightly to her. She was a bit shorter than Lance, the top of her head reaching his chin. She pulled back from the hug, beaming up at her son. “How are you?”

“I’m good, Mamá. Just tired from traveling.”

His mother urged him into the house, both her and his sister helping carry his things to his old room. It was exactly as he’d left it, the walls pale blue, photos of him and his friends tacked above his bed. A window let in the light of the setting sun, casting a warm glow over the room.

“Welcome home, Lance,” his mom said, setting down the box she’d brought in.

“Thanks, Mamá. I missed you guys a lot.”

 

The next month passed quickly, Lance’s days filled with family and household chores. He’d be babysitting his nieces and nephews only to get roped into mopping the second he was free. He didn’t mind too much, glad to have something to do besides mope about Keith or get questioned by nosy relatives about his time spent in America.

He fell into bed that night with a groan. He’d been tasked with so much, he felt like his body was melting into an overworked pile. His abuela had visited that day, his mother panicking to clean the house before she arrived. Lance had scrubbed what felt like every surface of the house, his fingers going pruny from the work. It was worth it, though, just to see the proud shine in his Mamá’s eyes as she admired his handiwork.

Lance swung an arm over his eyes. The small slivers of moonlight coming through the window were too much light for his tired eyes. He gave a sigh as he rolled his shoulders against the bed. Who knew cleaning could be so tiring? He took in a deep breath, letting himself relax for the first time since he’d come to Cuba. He let his mind drift, reminiscing about the life he’d had here, his time as a highschool student, his family, and his friends. It was so good to be home.

But Lance couldn’t help but miss college, in a way. Sure, he was on vacation, but college life had become the new norm for him. And Keith. How could Lance have forgotten about Keith? He hadn’t even thought about the incubus since he’d left. How was Keith doing? _What_ was Keith doing?

Lance couldn’t help but worry about Keith again. By this point in time, he was well aware that it was “ _none of his business_ ” and “ _not his problem_ ” to be worrying about Keith. But what Keith didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, right? 

It’d been quite a while since Keith had… “fed” off Lance. Was he hungry? Had Shiro told Keith where Lance was? Did Keith even care? Or worse, had Keith gone back to that sex-club type place? 

Lance wasn’t mad at Keith for leaving. Far from it, actually. The past week had given him time to think through Keith’s decisions, Keith’s choices. Lance had gotten upset in the moment, feeling as if Keith was leaving him, as if Keith didn’t trust him. That wasn’t the case, though. Keith had just been scared, and rightfully so. To put your life in the hands of someone else? That wasn’t a decision to be taken lightly.

Lance just wished there was some way he could prove to Keith that he loved him. Sure, they’d “done things” together, but did that really prove anything? After all, Keith was probably out “doing things” with people at that very second. The thought left a bitter taste in Lance’s mouth. It wasn’t distaste at Keith’s decisions; Lance wasn’t a prick, after all. If Keith wanted to sleep with a bunch of high-paying strangers, Lance wasn’t going to stop him. But the thought of Keith doing so made Lance… Well, Lance was… He... Okay, he was jealous. He wanted Keith for himself, wanted to spoil the other boy rotten, wanted to cherish him. He didn’t want someone else touching Keith, someone else’s hands bringing Keith pleasure.

Lance felt heat creeping into his cheeks at just the thought. He felt perverse and guilty. What right did he have to be thinking extensively about what Keith did with strangers? But what if Keith was doing what he’d done with Lance with somebody else? That wasn’t even a valid question to be passing through Lance’s brain. He knew full well that Keith was doing more than just grinding against a bunch of strangers. He was probably-

 _NOPE NOPE NOPE! NOT GONNA GO THERE._ Lance trashed the thought. Worrying over Keith was one thing, but obsessing over what Keith has and hasn’t done sexually was a whole other ballgame of creepy.

But the thought persisted. What would Keith look like, his mouth moving over somebody else's body? His hands running down the skin of another fair folk? His hair plastered to his forehead with sweat?

 _Get a hold of yourself!_ Lance scolded himself. He rolled onto his side and stared at the wall, trying to will himself back to being flaccid…

It didn't work.

 _Alright, so, maybe one time wouldn't hurt,_ Lance tried to reason, his hand already slipping beneath the elastic of his pajama pants. He groaned as his fingers brushed the tip of his already straining erection.

This was so wrong, but Lance couldn't stop himself. The memories of his night with Keith came flooding back. Lance could see it in his mind’s eye; Keith with his lips wrapped around Lance’s cock, his fingers dipping lower to cup Lance’s balls. He could see Keith naked above him, grinding down harshly, little breaths puffing out. Keith’s cute little dick bobbing against his stomach, precum pearling from the tip. 

_Carajo, this is so fucked up…_

But Lance only worked his hand faster, the scandal of the situation adding to his arousal.

“Keith!” Lance cried out as he came into his hand, panting hard. Spots filled his vision as he came down from his high, his breathing evening out gradually.

“You called?” came a voice from the corner of the room.

Lance whipped his head towards the sound.

_Oh, shit._


	19. Home 2.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The longest chapter thus far. Sorry for being M.I.A. Hopefully this chapter makes up for my absence.

“Keith?!”

Lance violently yanked his hand from his pants. A million questions swam through his mind. How was Keith here? How had he gotten in without Lance noticing? But most importantly:

“H- How long have you been standing there?”

Keith’s grin shone in the moonlight. “Long enough.”

Lance groaned, embarrassment flushing through him.

“You’re cute,” Keith chuckled. His voice held that same dark tone it had when he’d first whisked Lance away to the forest. The same tone he’d had when he first awakened his incubus side…

“I’m so hungry, Lance,” Keith whined, edging closer to the bed. He sat himself on the edge, his hands finding Lance’s wrist.

Keith lifted Lance’s hand, still covered in his own cum, and began to lick at it. Lance sat paralyzed, unsure how the hell he was supposed to respond. Keith just continued to lap up Lance’s bodily fluids, seemingly unaware of Lance’s confusion.

“I’ve been so hungry,” Keith groaned out, giving one last kitten lick to Lance’s palm before returning the limb to its owner. He crawled up the bed, pulling back the covers to slither beneath them. He straddled Lance, a thigh on either side of the other’s hips.

“Woah Woah Woah! What's going on, Keith?!”

Keith leaned down, his lips pressed to the shell of Lance’s ear. “Can we fuck? I want my dick in you. Or your dick in me. I really don’t care either way. I’m just so so so hungry.”

Lance froze up at his question and confession. “What?! Here?! Now?!”

Keith made a little whining noise. “Yes, here. Please, Lance. It’s been so long and I’m _starving_.”

Lance pushed at Keith’s shoulders, restoring him to his previous seated position. “No! Oh my god, no!”

Keith blinked at him, stunned. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I’m not going to have sex with you just because you’re hungry!”

Keith’s expression was one of confusion, his brows furrowed tightly and his mouth slightly agape. He looked hurt like Lance had just punched him in the gut.

“Remember what Pidge said? As soon as we ‘consummate’ our relationship, you’re going to be stuck with me. You left because you didn’t want that. Now you’re sneaking into my room and begging me to do something that you completely refused to before?” Lance shook his head, the entire situation was just too much. “Stop messing with me, Keith. I just want a straight answer for once. ”

Keith blinked slowly, his hands sliding from Lance’s chest down to his stomach. He rested his palms flat against Lance’s body, his gaze now fully directed downwards. He blinked again as if trying to get his bearings. The silence in the room stretched on, interrupted only by the chirping cicadas outside.

“I-” Keith’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I’m going to go back to Shiro.”

With that, he swung himself out of Lance’s lap, dragging the blanket along with him in his haste. Lance grabbed for him, but it was too late. Keith had disappeared back into the shadows.

Lance could only stare into the darkness of his room, a million questions in his mind and on his tongue.

 

Morning came creeping in, sunlight peeking through the windows of the room. Lance stared up at the ceiling, his mind blank. He’d been thinking all night, unable to sleep after Keith’s mysterious visit. Now rational thought escaped his grasp. He felt like he was floating in a sea of uncertainty.

His first order of business was to text Shiro. If Keith had gone back to Shiro, surely he would know what was going on.

Lance: _Shiro, what’s going on with Keith?_

Lance held his phone above his face, staring blankly at the screen as he awaited a reply. It wasn’t long before Shiro responded, though he answered Lance’s question with a question…

Shiro: _What’re you talking about? Did something happen with Keith?_

Lance: _Uh, yeah something happened with Keith. He magically appeared in my room last night. How?!_

Lance rolled onto his side and waited impatiently as Shiro typed out an explanation.

Shiro: _Well if he just showed up then he must have gone through the forest. The forest is a space between, well, space. He probably just transported himself there. What happened?_

Lance: _Nothing happened._ Lance lied easily, too embarrassed to admit what had transpired earlier. Then as an afterthought, he wrote, _Can you really transport yourself anywhere through the forest?!_

Shiro: _Good to hear it wasn’t anything serious. Yes, that’s how it always works. That's how we’re able to get to the forest from wherever and whenever._

Lance: _Huh. Okay. Thanks._

Shiro: _No problem. I’ll let you know if I see Keith anytime soon._

Lance hit the power button on his phone, tossing it to the side as he rubbed at his dry eyes.

“Lance, hijo! Come down and help your mamá!” called Lance’s mother from downstairs.

Lance groaned, pulling himself out of bed halfheartedly. His body ached from lack of sleep, but he didn't want to just ignore his mom.

“Coming, mamá!” Lance called in reply, twisting his torso to the side and feeling his back pop. He could worry about Keith later. For now, he was concerned as to how he was going to stay awake after getting only an hour of sleep. 

 

Shiro texted him back that night. Lance was so tired; he could barely keep his eyes open long enough to read the message.

Shiro: _Keith came back. He’s alright. He says he's sorry for scaring you last night._

Lance lifted one limp hand to tap out “thank you” before hitting the send button and the hay.

 

Another month passed without any word from Keith. Lance spent most of his days at the beach or playing with his cousins, though thoughts of Keith never left his mind.

Shiro updated him periodically on Keith. Simple messages like, _Keith’s doing well_ and _Keith says stop worrying about him_.

Lance would be going back to the states in a few days, back to the madness of his situation with Keith. Back to the fair folk and back to college, starting his junior year. He wasn't ready to face it again after having spent so much time away from it all. 

 

Sophie dropped him off at a motel near the airport. She and their mamá were headed off to the beach tomorrow, leaving nobody to drive him to the airport in the morning. He could easily walk from the motel to the airport, though, so he had opted to stay there overnight.

Sophie hugged him tightly, reluctant to say goodbye.

“How about, instead of leaving for another year, you stay here and work at the gas station down the street from the house?” Sophie asked, only half-joking.

Lance laughed. “Sure, sis. I’ll work a dead-end job in retail just to stay closer to you and mamá.”

Sophie frowned at his sarcastic tone, though she didn’t argue with his reasoning.

“I’ll see you over winter break, Sophie.”

Sophie huffed at him, but a smile graced her face.

She left soon after, leaving Lance to check in to the motel and meander to his room.

The motel wasn’t half bad. A bed was centered on the left wall, a box television sitting across from it. The bathroom was to his right, though the door on it didn't latch properly. At least everything was clean. It was a far cry from the rat-infested motel he’d stayed at last time.

Lance set his suitcase beside the television stand. He flopped onto the bed, reaching for the television remote on the bedside table. It was just past noon and the only things available to watch were soap operas and children's cartoons. Lance settled on a soap opera where two women were currently gossiping together. He let the sound of it play in the background as he scrolled through his social media.

He soon became bored, his phone slipping from his hands as his eyes drifted closed.

 

Lance awoke to someone shaking him. It wouldn’t have raised any alarm bells in his head had he been at home. However, he was supposed to be alone in his motel room…

He jolted awake with a scream, rolling himself across the bed and away from the intruder.

“Lance! Lance, it's just me!”

Lance’s screams tapered off as he noticed a wide-eyed Keith beside the bed. His heart was still hammering in his chest. His breathing was labored and adrenaline coursed through his veins.

“Keith?! What the hell, man?! I thought you were a murderer!”

Lance moved back to the side of the bed that Keith was on.

“Sorry,” Keith said, sounding as non-apologetic as someone could sound.

“What’re you doing here?”

Keith avoided his gaze, fiddling with the edge of Lance’s blanket instead. “I came to apologize.”

Lance sat up straighter. “Wait, what?! Could you repeat that?” He knew he had a shit-eating grin on his face, but he couldn't seem to wipe it away.

Keith shoved him lightly. “You know what I said.” The edges of his mouth turned up ever so slightly.

“But I wanna hear you say it again! It's so rare for the great and mighty _Keith Kogane_ to apologize!”

“Yeah, well, don't get used to it.”

“So, are you going to apologize or what?” Lance prompted.

Keith sighed with exasperation at Lance’s antics. “Shiro said that you were really worried about me, even though I told you not to be. I’m sorry that I made you worry.”

Lance crossed his arms and pouted. “Of course I was worried. You ran off and then magically appeared a month later only to disappear again!” Lance pulled his arms apart to tug on a lock of his own hair. “I was practically going bald with stress!”

Keith laughed at that. He sat on the edge of the bed. “You aren’t going bald. Besides, I told you not to worry, so it’s your own damn fault for not listening to me.”

“My own fault?! Keith, who _wouldn’t_ be worried if their boyfriend up and ran away for two months?!”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Boyfriend? Who said I was your boyfriend?”

Lance opened his mouth to give a snarky reply, but no sound came out.

“Alright, alright. I’m genuinely sorry that I made you worry. There. Happy?” Keith avoided looking Lance in the eyes, his gaze instead directed to the window.

Lance didn’t reply. What was he supposed to say to that? He wasn’t really mad at Keith and Keith was right in saying that it was Lance’s own fault for worrying.

Keith stood, seemingly disheartened at Lance’s lack of a reply.

“Are you leaving?” Lance asked.

“Well, yeah, I guess so. No point in sticking around, is there?”

Before Lance could fully comprehend what he was doing, he grabbed Keith’s hand.

“Stay.”

Keith blinked down at their hands. “What?”

“Stay here. Talk to me, Keith. It’s been two months and you still haven’t really told me _anything_.”

“Told you anything? About what?”

“About your decision! You know, the one where you decide whether you want to, like, be with me or not!” Lance let go of Keith’s hand.

“Oh. That.”

“Yes, that!” Lance exclaimed. Then, quieter, “I was, no, I _am_ really worried about you. Nothing you say is going to suddenly make me not worry about you. I want to know what you’re thinking. Your decision affects me too, you know?

Keith sat down again, his weight making the mattress dip slightly. He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. “I don’t know, Lance.”

“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”

“Just that! I don’t know!”

Lance laid a hand over Keith’s own. “Listen, Keith. I care about you. I want to know you better. I want to help you. If you need more time to make your decision, that’s fine. But at least tell me what’s going on. Don’t leave me in the dark with all of this, man.”

“I- I don’t need more time to make my decision.”

“Okay…? Then what are you waiting for? Why can’t you just tell me?”

Keith looked up, locking eyes with Lance. “I don’t want to ruin your life, Lance. If we’re together, then you’re stuck with me until you die. Or if you decide that you don’t want me anymore, I’ll die…”

Lance squeezed Keith’s hand. “I’m not going to change my mind.”

Keith shook his head. “You can’t say that for sure! I don’t want to _ruin your life_.”

Lance was taken aback at that. “You’re not ruining my life, Keith.”

“I’m not ruining your life _yet_. But I will if I choose to be with you.”

“You think living away from me and selling your body is a better option?!”

“YES!”

“WHY WON’T YOU JUST LET ME DO THIS FOR YOU?!”

Keith blinked at Lance, clearly stunned at his sudden outburst.

“I-” Lance started.

Keith held up a hand to silence him. “No, Lance. That’s exactly why I can’t let you do this. You only want to try and help me. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me and treat me like your charity case. I can’t take advantage of you like that.”

“Have you even been listening to anything I’ve been saying? I love you, you thick-headed cheese-wad! I’m not just offering myself because I _pity_ you!”

“I listened to everything you said, Lance, and it really does sound like you just pity me! How can you say you love me when you hardly know me?”

“I know I don’t know you all that well, Keith. And yeah, this whole thing with the fair folk and your incubus half and all? It’s really weird, I admit it. But you aren’t just a half-incubus. You’re _Keith Kogane_ , my moody, cute, and angry friend.” Lance averted his gaze from Keith’s face to look at their hands, still atop one another. “It’s not like this is the first time I’ve told you I love you. Even back then, my feelings for you didn’t come out of nowhere. I didn’t just suddenly feel this way about you. In fact, I used to hate you. You were so perfect and I was just… _me_.”

“Lance, I-”

This time it was Lance who silenced Keith with a hand. “My feelings for you didn’t just magically change. I made that choice. I made the choice to care about you. I wanted to learn to love you. Let me love you, Keith.”

Lance was startled as something wet landed on his hand, the one resting on the bed. He looked up to see Keith covering his face with his free hand. Even though most of his face was obscured, Lance could tell he was crying.

“Keith? You okay?”

Keith shook his head, wiping his eyes.

“I fed off of Shiro.”

“What?” Lance asked, the sudden shift of topic leaving him confused.

“After I appeared in your room, I was still hungry. So, I- I went back home and fed off of Shiro.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Keith sniffled again, his tears slowing. “Because if you knew the kinds of things I’ve done with other people, maybe you wouldn’t want me anymore.”

“What, you mean how you had sex with a bunch of other people?”

Keith cringed at Lance’s blunt wording, but he nodded.

“Well, if we were together, would you still go out and have sex with other people?”

Keith shook his head vigorously. “Of course not!”

“Okay. That’s all that matters. Besides, feeding off people is how you survive. It’s not like I haven’t also had sex with other people. Just because I fucked someone in the past doesn’t mean I want to fuck you any less.”

Keith let out an abrupt laugh. “Way to be subtle. And for your information, I didn’t _fuck him_.”

Lance smiled softly, reaching to cup the side of Keith’s face and wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. “Alright, alright. Whatever you say.” Then, softer, “Come here, you.” 

He pulled Keith down alongside him on the bed, scooting over to make room for the other to lay down. Keith followed him down reluctantly, his body held rigid as he settled in beside Lance. 

“So… You want to do this or not?” Lance asked.

“Do what?”

“The whole dating thing. That’s what we’ve been talking about this whole time, isn’t it?”

“ _Lance_ , I can’t do that to you…”

Lance let out a groan at Keith’s words. “Oh my God. Have you listened to a single word I’ve said?!”

“Yes, but-”

“Just shut up, Keith.” Lance pulled Keith to him, pressing their foreheads together and closing his eyes. “I’ve already told you plenty of times that I want this. So if you want it too, just hurry up and tell me. Stop being so difficult, mullet-head.”

Lance felt Keith’s hands clench into the front of his shirt. Lance peeked his eyes open to see Keith looking as vulnerable as a newborn stag, horns and all. They must have come out while Lance wasn’t looking. He couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and touch one of them.

Keith pushed into the touch. “I want this. I want _you_. I’m just… scared.”

Lance moved forward to brush his lips against Keith’s. “This is what I want, Keith. You’re who I want. Okay?”

Keith tightened his grip on Lance’s shirt. “Okay.”

Lance kissed him again, gentle and reassuring. Keith pulled Lance closer to him, their bodies molding together like puzzle pieces. While Lance tried to kiss him slowly, Keith kissed Lance like he was a man starved.

Keith pulled away from their kiss, panting harder than Lance was. “I want you. Now.”

Lance startled at his declaration. “Now? Like, _now_ now?”

Keith nodded vigorously, propping himself up on an elbow. He gazed down at Lance from the new angle, and Lance was reminded of the night Keith has first stolen him away. The same hungry expression from that night was on Keith’s face now.

“Isn’t that rushing it a bit?” Lance asked.

“Everything about our relationship has been pretty rushed. Besides, we’re going to do it sooner or later, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

“So why not sooner?” Keith didn’t wait for Lance to reply, kissing him instead.

Lance had to admit that he had a point.

Keith pulled away again to snarkily ask, “You still want to fuck me?”

Lance snorted. “Like you can’t already tell.”

Keith ground his hips against Lance’s and the slight bulge in his pants was obvious. Lance tightened his hold on Keith’s arms, trying to suppress a groan.

“I still want to hear you say it,” Keith said.

“Kinky.”

Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance. “So, you don’t want to? Fine.”

Keith moved to dismount from his perch atop Lance’s lap.

“Okay, okay. Sorry. Yes, I want to fuck you, you stupid mullet.”

Keith grinned down at him, triumphant. “Good.”

Lance slid his hands down from Keith’s arms to his waist. He slipped his fingers under the hem of Keith’s shirt. “May I?”

Keith responded wordlessly by lifting his arms and Lance slipped the shirt off of him. He tossed it to the side, unconcerned as to where it landed. Keith helped by shimmying his way out of his jeans. Lance sucked in a breath at the sight of him. Keith was flushed and gorgeous and Lance was sure he was going to die from the sight alone.

“Like what you see?”

Lance playfully shoved Keith off of him. “Shut up, man!”

Keith laughed as Lance’s face reddened. He reached out a hand to run along Lance’s jawline, his skin was warm and soft.

“Remember when I told you I loved you? Back when I was working for Zarkon?”

Lance turned to look at Keith, a smile on the other’s face. “Yeah. That was right before you jumped my bones, wasn’t it?”

Keith’s smile widened at that. “Yes. I meant it back then. I wasn’t just saying it because of the whole incubus-mating thing.”

“I know. I meant it when I said it too.”

Keith leaned in closer to Lance’s ear and whispered conspiratorially, “Do you also remember when I told you how much I wanted your cock in me? How I wanted your cum to paint my insides? How I wanted you to fill me up, make me feel it for days. Do you remember?”

Lance swallowed thickly, unable to get any words out.

“I want you to feed me now, too. Come on, Lance. Don’t you want to?” Keith pulled back, that Cheshire grin still on his face.

“I, um... I-”

Keith smoothed his hands down Lance’s shirt, tugging the hem up. He was unable to take it off because Lance was still lying down. He grunted, frustrated, and moved his attention to Lance’s pants instead, unzipping Lance’s jeans and pulling them down as much as he could.

“I don’t want to wait anymore. I’m going to let my incubus side take over, okay?”

Lance nodded mutely… and then he felt it. It was like a rolling wave of energy coming from Keith. It was the same kind of unscratchable itch he’d felt back in Zarkon’s forest. Lance couldn’t suppress the urge to pull Keith back towards him. It was compelling him, pushing him back to Keith.

Keith rolled his hips against Lance, their clothed erections pressing together. Lance absentmindedly wondered when he’d gotten hard. It must’ve been an effect of Keith’s incubus hormones or whatever the hell it was that Keith had done.

Keith shifted his position so that he could yank his boxers off. Lance groaned as he watched Keith’s cock pop free from his underwear. The tip of Keith’s member was already flushed purple, leaking precum. He wanted to reach out and touch it, could hardly restrain himself from just grabbing Keith and flipping him over.

Lance waved a hand at Keith, urging him to move so that Lance could strip down too. Keith rolled off to the side and Lance wiggled his way out of his clothes. He tossed them to the floor, same as he had with Keith’s clothes.

Free from the fabric, he moved back so that he was on top of Keith, his legs nudging in between Keith’s. Lance cradled Keith’s cheek in his hand. Keith smiled softly, spreading his legs further, bending at the knees. His hands snaked down his body, disappearing from Lance’s view.

“Shit, do we need, like lube and condoms?” Lance asked, suddenly remembering the basics of sex.

Keith shook his head. “Perks of being half-incubus.” He raised his hand from where he’d been touching himself and spread his fingers, showing Lance the slick between them. 

“Wow, okay. Was not expecting that.” Lance sat back on his heels, staring at Keith’s hand with a mix of surprise and awe.

“Are you… grossed out?” Keith’s voice dropped, his face screwing up with worry.

Lance shook his head quickly. “No, no of course not. I’m just surprised.”

Keith relaxed hearing Lance’s words. He resumed his previous actions, a hand going to wrap around his cock while the other circled his rim. Lance had to rip his gaze away from it, the urge to stare hard to resist.

“What about condoms? Are you clean?”

Keith bristled. “Yeah, of course I’m fucking clean, Lance. Do you think I don’t shower or something? Why does it matter, anyways? You’re fucking an _ass_ , it’s never going to be perfectly clean.”

Lance couldn’t stop the laughter that erupted out of him. “Holy crow, Keith, that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about STIs, you idiot.”

Keith flushed with embarrassment, his little mistake apparently more embarrassing than the fact that he had a finger up his ass in front of Lance.

“Fair folk don’t have STIs. We’re immune to most human germs. Besides, if you wore a condom, I wouldn’t be able to feed off of you.”

“Oh yeah. Okay.”

Keith arched off the bed and Lance was happily reminded of what Keith was currently up to.

“You want some help there?” Lance asked, smirking.

Keith moaned and Lance took that as a yes. He eased Keith’s fingers out of him, replacing them with his own. Keith clenched down on him, rolling his hips eagerly.

“More.” Keith moaned lowly, the sound going straight to Lance’s dick.

Lance twisted his hand, trying to loosen Keith up a bit more before adding a third finger. Slick coated his hand now, more of it leaking out of Keith with every pump of Lance’s fingers. Lance angled his hand, trying to elicit more reactions out of Keith.

Keith jerked his cock, moaning again and grinding himself onto Lance’s fingers. “Fuck, Lance, right there. Come on, I’m ready for you.”

Lance cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure? I just started.”

Keith groaned, kicking his legs out like a petulant child. “I’ll be fine. Just hurry up. I want to come with you inside me.”

Normally, Lance would have more patience. But Keith’s incubus hormones were already making him harder than he thought was humanly possible. He shuffled forward a bit, lining himself up with Keith’s entrance.

Keith moaned at the feeling of Lance pressed so close to him, so close to being inside him.

“Keith. Look at me.”

Keith moaned again, wrapping his legs around Lance and trying to get him to fuck him already. But he looked at Lance, as was asked.

“Are you absolutely sure you want this? There’s no turning back afterward.”

Keith blinked once, his head clearing a bit before he responded. “Yes.”

Lance pushed in, a low growl ripping its way through his throat. Keith was so hot inside, the slick making everything wet and making it seem as though Keith was sucking Lance into him. Lance braced himself over Keith with a forearm on each side of Keith’s head. He tried to kiss Keith, but the other was writhing and moaning too much to make that a reality.

Lance bottomed out and was finally able to capture Keith’s lips with his own.

Keith twisted his head away to speak. “Fuck, Lance, more, please. Please, move. Please.”

Who was Lance to deny such a request? He pulled back, slamming his hips back into Keith and making the other cry out. Keith’s horns rucked up the sheets, nearly ripping through the thin fabric. Lance grabbed at Keith’s horns, dragging Keith up towards him to kiss him again. Keith sucked Lance’s tongue into his mouth before releasing it with a pop.

Lance was so fucked. He pistoned his hips faster, feeling Keith’s slick pooling out and sticking to his thighs. Keith’s face was a wonder to behold. His eyes were scrunched shut, his mouth parted as he panted heavily.

Keith’s nails dug into Lance’s back, raking lines that were sure to leave marks come morning.

“Come in me. Please, Lance. Please, I’m so hungry. Fill me up, make me leak for days.” Keith tightened his legs around Lance until all he could do was grind into the other.

“Keith, shit, I-”

“I love you, Lance.”

Lance’s hips stilled as he released into Keith, his cum pooling inside the half-incubus deliciously. Keith wiggled beneath him, a hand still wrapped around himself. Lance straightened up, his breathing evening out. He wrapped his hand around Keith’s own, helping to get him off.

Keith came with a shout, ropes of cum painting his and Lance’s bodies. He panted heavily, that dopey smile on his face again. Lance kissed him one last time, savoring the taste.

“I love you too, Keith.”


	20. Our Alcove of Reality

Three years later:

Lance perched on the rock at the edge of the lake, staring down into the glassy water. Allura waved back at him from the bottom, her face blurred by the ripples on the water’s surface.

“What’re you looking at?” asked a familiar voice. Lance felt Keith behind him, arms coming to wrap around his midsection. 

“The most beautiful mermaid in all the land.”

Keith snorted at Lance’s overdramatized response. He turned to see Allura as well, watching her play with the kids in the lake. They swam in circles, chasing each other through the plants. A couple of kids sat off to the side, weaving together necklaces and bracelets.

“Hey, lovebirds. You gonna come help us or what?” Pidge called.

Lance wiggled out of Keith’s grasp and slid down the side of the rock. He ambled towards Pidge and Hunk who were trying to wrangle the nymph children down for nap time.

“Alright, kiddos, here’s the deal. If you all lay down to take a nap right now, I’ll let Pidge test her new invention on me.” Lance spoke over the ruckus.

The kids were in their sleeping bags faster than Lance could say “Quiznak”. 

“You’re serious about letting me test my invention on you?” Pidge asked.

“Well, I did promise them…”

Pidge’s grin was more sinister than happy. “Oh man, you just made a huge mistake.”

“Remember, Pidge, if you kill him, I’ll kill you,” Keith called from where he still sat on the rock.

“It won’t _kill_ him,” Pidge reassured. “More like cause mild to severe discomfort.”

Pidge went to rustle through her bag of things, leaving Lance to wonder what he’d gotten himself into.

Hunk placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I’ll visit your grave every day, Lance.”

Pidge whipped back around, a rectangular gizmo in hand. “Behold! My new taser! Capable of sending an electric shock fifty feet away without the use of wires!”

“Oh geez.” Lance buried his face in his hands.

“Don’t worry, Lance. Worst case scenario, you die. Second worst case scenario, you piss yourself.” Hunk said.

“Not helping, Hunk. Not helping.”

“Pidge, are you sure that’s safe?” Keith asked, having come down from the rock.

Pidge grinned cheekily. “Don’t worry, I’ve tested it out on Coran a bunch, and he’s mostly fine. Save for his slightly burnt mustache, that is.”

The kids were getting restless, tittering to one another and wiggling around in their sleeping bags.

“Okay, let’s just do it,” Lance said.

Hunk moved away and Lance spread his arms as if offering himself up to the heavens. If he died today, at least he would die knowing he was loved. He closed his eyes, ready for the end. Then Pidge pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

Lance peeked an eye open. “Uh, Pidge?”

Pidge was violently hitting the taser, cursing under her breath. She shook it a little, then aimed it at Lance again. Lance squeezed his eyes shut, prepared for the shock. But again, nothing happened.

“Guess today’s your lucky day, Lance. I must’ve jostled it in my backpack. It’s broken.”

Lance breathed a sigh of relief, turning to the kids to brag about his good fortune. But they were already asleep, probably having dozed off while the adults had been talking.

About two years ago, Shiro and Coran had proposed a plan to adopt a bunch of kids. It’d sounded like a crazy idea at the time, but it made sense now. The same way Allura and Coran had been offered a second chance at life when their human ones had ended, they offered sick children the same chance. The kids lived permanently in the forest and Shiro, Allura, Coran, Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk all rotated taking care of them. There were ten in total right now, six of them mermaids, three nymphs, and one a werewolf.

As fair folk, the children would age slower than they would have if they were still human, but they would have amazing lives in the forest. Lance was happy that everyone had approved this. The kids made the forest lively, and Lance felt like they were as close as siblings.

Keith tugged on Lance’s hand, pulling him out of his daydream.

“Hey, let’s head home. I still have things to do and you were complaining about wanting Chinese food earlier, right?” Keith’s words were soft.

Keith hadn’t aged a day since Lance had first seen him. As he got older, Lance noticed the freckles on his own skin, the bags under his eyes, and the smile lines forming on his face. But Keith still looked as young as he had the day they’d met. Lance didn’t mind, though. He thought Keith was gorgeous no matter what.

Looking back, it was hard to believe their relationship had started out so rocky. Now they were living together, sleeping together, eating together. It was like they were joined at the hip. They’d graduated college last year, but they hadn’t been concerned about finding work just yet. At least, not in the human world.

In one of the many fair folk’s forests, Lance was a teacher. He taught astrology to the masses of fair folk. Keith was also a teacher, although in a different forest. He was more of a mentor, actually. He helped young fair folk learn to hunt and work, learn to survive in the forest so that they wouldn’t have to resort to working for Zarkon like he had.

Lance couldn’t be happier. He’d been hesitant to be with Keith all those years ago, and now he couldn’t imagine any other life.

“Lance? You ready to go home?” Keith prompted again.

Lance took another look at the forest, taking in the shimmering body of water, the lush grass, and the kids sleeping soundly in their sleeping bags. He was almost grateful that Keith had stolen him away that night. He was so happy here. So happy to be with Keith, and so happy that this was his life now.

He turned to Keith, nodding. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! I might release a related story sometime, so be on the lookout for that.

**Author's Note:**

> If you add me on [Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/add/ztnbooks), I'll add you back and you can yell at me about Voltron or just send me cute pictures of your pets. If you have any questions/comments, leave them down below. I always reply to comments ^-^.


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